A Couple of Late Valentines...

As I've focused on decorating my apartment (only about 6 months AFTER moving in) and trying my hand at a Pinterest craft or two, my posts got a little forgotten, but the manis didn't! 
Overall, I really enjoyed my Valentine's Day manis this year.  Here are the last 2 that I wore:

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Sinful Colors Cream Pink
*2 coats Sinful Colors Snow Me White
*1 coat China Glaze Make A Spectacle
*1 coat Out the Door

This one was inspired by this pin (if you know its origin, please let me know so I can credit the creator!)  Cream Pink was a bit brighter than I remembered, but just as pretty.  It's not a cream at all, but a gorgeous pink packed with golden shimmer.  I used Make A Spectacle, an iridescent multi-sized glitter, to add some sparkle to my white accent and added a heart sticker that I recently found while cleaning out my mani drawer.  I didn't love the sticker, but overall liked this bright look!

Then there was my actual Valentine mani:

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Sinful Colors Snow Me White
*2 coats Zoya Gaia
*Zoya Kimber
*Zoya Rory
*1 coat Out the Door

This was a twist on a Christmas mani I did, inspired by The Swatching Sprite.  I'm not sure why, but I think I liked the first one better--maybe I sized the dots a little better.  This was still fun, though!  I used Gaia, a sheer "white" polish that is really more of a gold shimmer, over my base.  Then I used the amazing Kimber (magenta) and Rory (lavender-pink) from the Surf collection shimmers that I NEVER get tired of.  I was a bit down on this one at first, but it really grew on me.

So that's the end of Valentine's 2015 (although it's never the wrong time for a pretty pink mani)!

Fairy Love

My love-hate-mostly-love relationship with Valentine's day is in full swing.  Bring on the pink!  Bring on the sparkles!  Bring on the hearts!  Bring on the love!  (Pretend to ignore my lonely singleness!)
Here's my first mani for the season.  I wanted to have some sparkling red on my nails, and went from there once I got some new decals in the mail that I ordered from RLR Creations.

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Zoya America
*2 coats Sinful Colors Snow Me White
*3 coats Butter London Fairy Cakes
*1 coat China Glaze Fairy Dust
*1 coat Out the Door

America is 2 easy coats for perfect red coverage.  Adding Fairy Cakes as a second accent was a last minute decision, but I'm glad I did it.  Sometimes too much red makes me feel...old.  I like breaking it up like this.
I used Snow Me white as a base for my red heart decal.  This comes in a really cute Valentine's set.  I was kind of off as I was finishing up this mani and left the first decal in the water WAY too long and it got folded as I slid it off.  This one lost a little bit of the red as I patted it on, which is really only noticeable up close.  I've never had this happen with these decals, so I'm assuming it was a fluke--we'll see with some of the others from this set that I can't wait to use!
 

I was having a rough day when I I painted this, so I figured a little more sparkle was in order.  I added a coat of Fairy Dust, the perfect micro holo glitter, and then shined it all up with a top coat. 
I've been doing a lot of cleaning/decorating/crafting lately, so I've gotten some chips on my right hand.  At first I was bummed because this was such a fun look, but now I'm a little happy because it gives me an excuse to move onto the next festive look!

Do you have any "love" looks you love?  Let me know!

Crumpet's 31DC: Film

I learned in college that I am more creative with more restrictions.  When my options are wide open, I drown in them.  This happened with today's prompt: "film."
I thought through a hundred different movies to try to use for inspiration.  I looked at pictures and manis of actual film.  I thought about film on things, like bubbles.  I started to stress, and that's not what this should be about!
So, I thought of what color/polish I wanted to use, and then made it work.

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats China Glaze Altantis
*2 coats China Glaze Gothic Lolita
*1 coat Sinful Colors Pearl Harbor
*2 coats Out the Door

I got Atlantis for Christmas last year after falling in love with swatches online (seriously, this picture does NOT do it justice--check out Scrangie).  I'm kicking myself for just trying it now!  The teal jelly base is packed with holo glitter.  I only did 2 coats because this will come off tomorrow, but would either layer it or go for a third if I were wearing it longer to cover the visible nail line.  Honestly, though, it's gorgeous and I'm totally over any bald patches now (which are far more noticeable in photos that real life) :)  This is a very gritty glitter, though, so I used 2 thick top coat layers and would probably add a 3rd tomorrow if it was going to stay on longer. 
I used Gothic Lolita, a gorgeous lavender almost-creme with a subtle shimmer for my accent, then added Pearl Harbor on top for a little added shimmer.

So, have you figured out what I did for "film?"

I went with my favorite movie as a girl (that I may still be able to recite every line of...): The Little Mermaid!

How do you narrow down idea when there are so many options?  I'd love your advice!

Sweet Holo-ween

I'm a little late, but I grew to love the nails I had for Halloween and really think that it's never the wrong time for some candy corn!

* 1 coat Gelous base
* 2 coats Sinful Colors Snow Me White
* Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Sun Kissed
* Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Butter-fly Stroke
* 1 coat INM Northern Lights
* 1 coat Out the Door

This looks is inspired by one I saw in a pin on Pinterest and tracked to Smashley Sparkles 2012 Halloween mani.  Hers has more of a fine, gradient look to it that I had planned to do, but once I realized my dots were too big, I improvised. 

I used Butter-fly Stroke, a good, opaque yellow for the tip.  I dotted over/below it with Sun Kissed and then went back to make a little more overlap between the colors.  I wasn't crazy about the look at first--I think because the base is white, instead of having white dots, so it felt uneven--so I added glitter, of course!  A thin coat of holo sparkles and a shiny topper and I called it a night!

As I looked at these on Halloween (and each day since) I came to like them more and more!  I had such a clear image in my head of what I was imitating that I didn't see how fun these turned out until I got a little distance.

Have you had a look grow on you over time that you came to love?  What made you come around to it?

Dotty Halloween and Zoya create-a-polish!

I was SO close to getting a third post in for the week!

The problems was that I was overly-ambitious about the mani I planned and had to find a quick, dark plan B to cover up a disaster (which you will still see remnants of on the tips if you look closely).  I was ready to do a sponged candy corn "gradient" that needed better planning...and cutting of my sponge.  The yellow tips started fine but the orange overtook my nails (it had a mind of its own, I swear!) and I had a white base with some nails sponged to cover.  So, I used this mani from hellomissniki.com as my jumping off point.

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Sinful Colors Snow Me White (NOT necessary)
*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out
*2 coats China Glaze Some Like It Haute (middle)
*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Sun Kissed
*1 coat Out the Door

I promise, though my nails have been stained in the past, that yellow at the tips is NOT my natural nail, but the tip of my candy corns!
I love Some Like It Haute and couldn't resist pulling it out.  It's such a gorgeous mix of micro gunmetal glitter and larger hex holo glitter!  I resisted every urge to add glitter to the black and left it alone with a cream finish.  I dotted Black Out and Snow Me White over Sun Kissed--a gorgeous, easy orange cream--on my ring finger and called it a day.
I love the polka dots!  If I didn't have the botched base poking out, I'd be more in love with this look, but so it goes!  I'm going to switch it out tonight because it's really driving me nuts, but I'm sad to lose my dots and sparkles!

What do you think about manis-gone-wrong?  Do you want to see the botched attempts to know you're not alone, or is it better to pretend they just didn't happen?

If you haven't heard, Zoya (a brand that I LOVE) is running a really fun contest through Friday.  Log on to their site to play in the color lab and create your own polish.  You can play with colors and finishes and see all the others that have been created.  AND, if you feel so inclined, you can give my li'l bottle a vote by following the tweeted link below!

Vote for my creation, Melissa: "A sparkling bright pink for an extra-girly touch" http://t.co/hbktZLcFIc via @ZoyaNailPolish
— Melissa Andersen (@melissandersen) October 28, 2014

Stormy Halloween

Two posts in one week?  Who is this girl?
Well, be prepared, because I might even have a 3rd up my sleeve...

Tonight's is a very simple mani but I am LOVING it!  I got some chips in my last one so I made a late in the evening decision to switch it out last night, so I needed something quick.

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Zoya Story
*2 coats Cover Girl Boundless Color Candy Corn (accent)
*1 coat Sinful Colors UFO (accent)
*1 coat Out the Door

Sometimes, simple is best.  Zoya hit a home run with their Ornate collection--I never get tired of the scattered holos!  Storm is a black base with scattered silver micro holo.  I used 2 very thin coats
Cover Girl's Boundless Color collection was awesome and I still have a few bottles.  Candy Corn is one of them, a soft, creamy orange that covered okay enough in 2 coats.  There was still some visible nail line and a 3rd would have eliminated that, but I opted for some iridescent sparkle with a coat of Sinful Colors UFO--an orange-tinted sheer base with your standard mix of hex and micro glitter.  I added a little black rhinestone and called it a day with a top coat.
I loved looking at this one today and was glad to see it fared much better in an office than manis did in retail--stones are intact and tips are unchipped!  I think I'm going to enjoy manis much more now that they last!

What's your favorite go-to mani?  What simple look never fails you?

Matte Halloween

For-ev-er.  You're right, that's how long it's been since I last posted. 

Know that I feel bad, but make no apologies.  I moved, started a new job, quit an old job, injured a knee twice leaving me pretty immobile, traveled across the country, and just found a desire to polish again.  It's been a very different, crazy year for me, but good in the long run.  I just needed some "me" time to stop my head from spinning!

Hopefully I'll spend much more time here now!

I really wanted to start off right with the Crumpet's 52-week Challenge, but really didn't get myself in gear to make the deadlines for them.  I've been sporting nekkid nails for a while now, out of exhaustion, and was ready to dive in.  I got super excited about jumping in for week 3, but apparently the InLinkz is already closed. 
So, I may not be feeling this Challenge...I was excited to have some inspiration to start trying new things again, but I don't really like that it's closed off to anyone who hasn't been accepted into the Facebook group (I think they're pretty open to adding members, though!) and I didn't realize they were going to be such sticklers with the timing of posts.  Please understand that this is NOT a judgement on anyone who is on board (I fully intended to be until about 10 minutes ago when I went to post!), Crumpet's Nail Tarts, or the Challenge itself.  I actually think it's a great idea and may use some prompts, but it looks like I just decided I'm not "officially" participating.

One of this week's prompt options was matte.  I'm not a huge fan of matte finishes (I LOVE the feel of a shiny top coat when I touch my nails), but a challenge should be just that--stretching out of a comfort zone!

So, here's my first Halloween mani of the season:

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Orly R.I.P.
*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out (accent)
*1 coat Sinful Colors Pearl Harbor (accent)
*Sinful Colors Snow Me White
*1 coat Hard Candy Matte-ly In Love

R.I.P. by Orly is a black, relatively sheer/jelly base with orange large hex and micro square glitters.  The glitter settled at the bottom of my bottle, but some shaking and resting it upside down while I started fixed that easily.  I used 2 coats, and may opt for 3 in the future due to how sheer the base is, but 2 careful coats are not bad at all!  With a shiny top coat, it gets the depth of a jelly sandwich.
I wanted a little something extra, so I used my black creme and dotted on eyes.  I used Pearl Harbor for just a little extra sparkle on the black.  I like this look a lot with a top coat and will have to do the combo again!
I used Matte-ly In Love on all the nails for the prompt.  While I don't really like the feel of it, I must admit that glitter looks so cool with the matte finish on it!  I'm not converted from a high-shine topper, but I'm not disappointed either!

So, what's your favorite way to rock matte?  Is there something I should try that will convert me?  Do tell!

Here's lookin' at you!

I love this simple little Halloween look!
I wore nails like this last year and, with so little time, it was impossible to resist this quick nail art again.  I originally saw this inspiration on Pinterest last year.  I love simple nail art like this that really anyone can pull off!

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats Essence Jacob's Protection
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out
*Sinful Colors Snow Me White
*1 coat Out the Door

Jacob's Protection is from the Essence Twilight line that came out earlier this year.  I haven't read or watch the series, but the colors were really great.  This is a black base with dense, medium blue shimmer throughout.  The first photo is a little out of focus and really shows off the shimmer on my index finger.  It's a really pretty polish!  I just used a dotting tool to dab on white and then black over the dark base.  Easy!

33DC: Chevrons

Last week I really wasn't very inspired by the challenges, nor did I have time to do more than a simple polish.  Last night, as I read and tried to do ANYTHING but homework, I gave chevrons a try.  I've been dying to try this mani that I found on Pinterest and traced back to Selena at Pink U Rock.  I, like many of you, debated whether or not zig-zags were considered chevrons.  I took the technical road and decided not, so I tweaked the mani a bit, but love it!

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats Sinful Colors Cream Pink
*2 coats Butter London Fairy Cake
*2 coats Sinful Colors Snow Me White
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out
*1 coat Out the Door

I love Cream Pink and couldn't find it for a while last night.  I know Sinful Colors are cheap, so it wasn't a big deal, but I had had my heart set on it.  I'm glad it surfaced (which is sort of a miracle in my room right now).  I used 2 coats for coverage, though long nails probably need 3.  I love that, even though it has "cream" in its name, it has a really subtle golden shimmer to it that you can see in the first picture.
Fairy Cake is an awesome gold-ish holo glitter that I used for my ring finger accent.  I love how this looks with the pink!  I used Snow Me White as a base for my chevrons and used striping tape to make the v's.  Then I used Black out over the top and peeled off the tape.
This color combo is so stunning that I am sad to see it go tomorrow!  I have to meet with my internship contact for school and don't really feel like this is appropriate, but I'm sure I'll give it another go or try a variation very soon because I can't take my eyes off of it!  Do you have any color combos that just steal the show like this?  Share!  Share!

Torero Pride

I loved my time at USD. 
The campus is GORGEOUS and I loved my classes and friends.  I am unbelievably excited to be going back in a week, even if it is just for a semester.  I love my school!
This weekend the freshmen moved in so I rocked a Torero blue look and LOVED how it came out!

 *1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener
*3 coats Sinful Colors Cinderella
*2 coats Aengland Tristam
*1 coat Out the Door

Cinderella is almost a perfect match to our school color.  The gorgeous pink shimmer does not disappoint.  This is, however, such a sheer polish.  With 3 coats you can still see that it's a bit patchy and streaky.  I needed it to dry to tape off tips, though, so I opted to forgo a fourth coat.  In real life, it's not nearly as bad as in the photos.  Tristam is a gorgeous partner for Cinderella, deep and shimmery with holo flecks.  This applies like a dream and dries quickly--I need to remember to pull it out more often!  I used it as the accent nail and added three light blue rhinestones with clear polish--they are almost a perfect match to the light blue of Cinderella!
I really loved how these turned out!  I cut my nails down and like the small tips on the French.  I'm sad to take this off--I'll have to try it again soon with other colors!

Land that I love

I know it's the 5th, but these were my 4th of July nails.  I tried my hand at this pin that links to Californails, but I couldn't find the mani on the tumblr feed, so I can't link to that.

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardner
*2 coats Cover Girl White Night
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Co-bolt Blue
*OPI Danke-shiny Red
*Sinful Colors Queen of Beauty
*2 coats Out the Door

The thing about macro shots is that they amplify every little detail that the perfectionist in me hates!  The reality is that these came out really cool and I'm pretty proud of them (even the right hand!).  Up close all I can think is I have NO idea how ladies get straight freehand lines!  Anyway, when these are a normal distance from my eyes, I really like them.  I got a lot of compliments on them the past two days.  What I found really strange was that at least a third of those comment came from men.  I guess Independence Day brings out some hardcore patriotism that men embrace, even if it is in nail polish!

I applied two thin coats of white for my base knowing the others would cover it well.  I taped off half of the nail and painted on Co-bolt Blue.  I really never get tired of how gorgeous this polish is.  It's much darker without a flash on it, but that shimmer is just as visible.  Then I freehanded on stripes with Danke-shiny and a small brush.  Finally, when I hoped it had all dried, I painted on the glitter stripe which shows up much better in real life.  It helped me worry a little less about areas where polish snuck under my tape lines!

This really got me excited to get back into trying more nail art.  I can polish and add glitter or an accent like nobody's business, but it's been months since I really tried to do anything beyond that.  Shaky lines aside, I really did like this design and now that I have some more free time, I'm feeling the itch to keep trying new stuff and branch out more.  Have you had a cool design that inspired you to get more adventurous with your nails?

Something Lady Like

I've been a bit M.I.A. the last week.  I had the best of intentions for the 31 day challenge, and did a lot better than I thought.  I also was really stoked to do the Flip Flop challenge in February.  Then, I just got very overwhelmed with everything going on in my life.  I needed some time away, some rest, some perspective.  I had a couple of manis that I decided not to photograph and share, even though I really liked my Super Bowl one.  But really, it just wasn't important.  Taking a deep breath was.
I thought I would try to catch up or jump into the Flip Flop challenge, but I think that I am going to keep that for another time.  Instead, I'm going to enjoy my nails a bit more.  When I was changing every day, I didn't get to savor them, and there were some looks I really liked!  I know that is why I started this blog in the first place--to keep track of the manis I did so that I can come back to ones I liked--but it was a little sad to work hard and then wash it all away.  So, I won't be posting daily, but I'm okay with that.  I hope you are too!

*~*~*~*

I have a love-hate relationship with Valentine's Day.  I love love and pink and flowers.  I hate being alone when everyone else has love and pink and flowers galore.  I'm sure you would NEVER understand that... I've been saving up some Valentine mani ideas that I'm excited to try out.  Like I said, I love love and pink...

 

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats Essie Lady Like
*Sinful Colors Snow Me White
*1 coat Out The Door.

This first look comes courtesy of Mixed Mama.  I found this simple but lovely mani on Pinterest a while ago and have been dying to try it out.  This is the reason that I ended up getting Lady Like!

Lady Like is not a polish I would ever say is "me."  It is a cream, dusty mauve of sorts, almost beige.  It's a little old lady-ish.  It applies like a dream--I used 2 coats for a smooth finish, but 1 careful coat is really enough.  A one-coat neutral!  Maybe it's because it's really different from what I wear.  Maybe it's because I've been loving this look for so long.  Maybe I'm just an old lady at heart, but I really like this color!  Sometimes, I think I need something more subtle and soft, and this is both in such a perfect way!

I used a dotting tool to draw on the hearts with Snow Me White.  I tossed this bottle when I was done--it's gotten really thick and makes little strings as soon as it's out of the bottle.  I have a back-up already, too, but just wouldn't get rid of this.  When it messed up this mani, that was the last straw!  I had waited too long to let thick polish get in my way!

I like how simple and quiet these are.  It feels so weird to have no shimmer or glitter on my nails, and I considered adding some iridescent glitter to the hearts, but I'm glad I didn't.  I waited for Valentine's Day-ish to try these, but I think they might be a simple, mostly-neutral go-to look from now on!

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: 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: 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: Black & White

So, a new year, a new challenge!  While it got a little overwhelming at times, I loved doing the 31 day challenge in October.  It really pushed me to try new things, some with great results and others with really great...lessons.  So, when I saw that The Crumpet had compiled a new challenge, I figured I'd give it a go!  It will be really nice to do this with people, too!  So, for day 1, we are doing black and white nails.  Here's to a new year filled with class:

 

 *1 coat Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats Sinful Colors Snow Me White
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out

I decided to give little tuxedo nails a try--it felt appropriate for New Year's!  I used Snow Me White as my base and left it crisp as a cream finish (normally it feels a little too harsh alone).  I used the brush from Black Out to paint on the "V" for the coats and a small nail brush for the bow ties.  This time a tried a new technique that still isn't perfect, but was much cleaner than my last bow.  I painted the 2 straight ends of the tie and then an "x" between them to help make the triangles.  On my ring finger I added a black rhinestone for the know, but it's hard to see, so I skipped the rest of the nails.

I spent more time on clean up than I usually do and am going to try to be more patient in that respect.  However, I freehanded when I should have taped off clean lines because I couldn't wait for my base to dry, so there is still some room for improvement in the waiting department...

So here's to a new year, a new challenge, and new skills along the way!  Are you giving the challenge a go?  I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Even stop lights...

Tonight I had to give Christmas light nails a try!  I was not loving my Santa bellies, mostly because I was lazy.  When I decided to scrap the original candy cane mani after I painted my left hand, I left my right hand white and just layered Ruby Pumps over it.  The effect was not nearly as deep and awesome as it is on its own, and I just got tired of looking at it with regret.  So, here is a little string of lights!

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats Sinful Colors Snow Me White
*1 coat Wet 'n Wild Kaleidoscope
*OPI Skip the Gift Wrap
*Zoya Myrta, Zuza, Kimber and Rory
*1 coat Out the Door top coat

 

I knew I wanted to give this look a try and agonized over what color base to use.  I wanted to do green, for the tree, but I also wanted to use green for the cord.  I finally went with white, but added Kaleidoscope to soften it a bit and to add some sparkle.  I love this glitter so much!  It is a silver holo with micro particles and scattered larger hex pieces.  It is sparse enough to not overtake a mani but can easily build.

I used OPI Skip the Gift Wrap for my green cord.  It is a shimmery deep green that dries to a foil finish, almost frosty.  It's really pretty and pretty perfect for Christmas.  Again, I debated colors for the dotted lights for a while and chose to go with the 4 from the Zoya Surf collection.  I NEVER get tired of using these beauties.  They shimmer like no other and have proven perfect for dotting.  The shimmer makes them glow in the sun, which is why I chose them for the bulbs.

I didn't get too particular about the shape of the lights or where they were placed.  I think that I like some shapes better than others, like my index finger and thumb.  Overall these aren't necessarily my best art, but they are so fun!  It's late, so I'm excited to see them in some good sunlight tomorrow!  Have you done lights this year?  Did you find some really good color combos?  Do tell!

It's beginning to look at lot like christmas!

This is my FAVORITE time of year!  It is insanely busy working in retail and we all have a ton of things planned to do, but I can't get enough of Christmas.  I'm started putting out decorations tonight, am getting my tree in the morning, and just did my first Christmas mani for the season!
I have been saving up a bunch of Christmas manis on Pinterest and am excited to try them out.  This first one is a little...rough...  My nail art technique and outcomes are not something to really brag about, but I'm excited to try new things and I like knowing that I'm being honest about my attempts.  Sometimes it gets discouraging to see all of the amazing nail art out there and know I don't measure up.  For the ladies like me out there, I want you to know you can still enjoy decorating your nails and be okay when it comes out a little...funky.
So, this inspiration came from Pinterest.  I tried to connect back to the original blog, but it's missing, so if you know whose this is, let me know so I can give credit!

My freehand bows are rough, but I don't hate them.  I used 2 coats of OPI Danke-shiny Red.  I love this rich, shimmery red and it's amazing coverage in two coats.  They go on so smooth and the finish is shiny and gorgeous.  I highly recommend this one from the Germany collection!

Over the top, I added a thin coat of the red glitter Snowman polish.  I picked up two of these little guys (the flaky/iridescent glitter and the shredded teal glitter).  BUT, what does my mom send me for Thanksgiving?  The red glitter, the pink, and the teal!  She's kind of the best.  So, I added this fine red glitter in a clear base over the top.  The color matches perfectly and just adds a little sparkle to Danke-shiny. 
I used my trusty Sinful Colors Snow Me White for the ribbons and added Spoiled Daddy's Credit Card for the silver accent.  On my thumbs and ring fingers I added a little silver rhinestone.  We'll see how long they last at work!

I'm VERY glad that you cannot see my right hand as well :).  I couldn't just paint bows on my left, though.  I kind of wish that I had just done one on my accent nails instead of all 5, but this is my week off of classes, so I'll have more time to paint without papers to grade.  Plus, I've got too much holiday excitement to not move onto a new design soon!
Are you feelin' festive?  Are your nails showing it?  What holiday designs are you rocking that you think I need to try?

Why I'm a Sista

As we near the middle of Movember, I have been so touched by all of your manicures, comments, and stories!  This week, I am showing my Mo Sista pride!

I support the men in my life because I need them healthy.  I'm a Mo Sista because my dad is healthy and looking at a long life after cancer because he was aware and informed.  I don't know what my world would be without him, and don't want to.  That's why I promote and support Movember.

I'm a Sista because I'm a sister.  I have two brothers whom I love more than they can ever know and never want to see them fight a battle against prostate or testicular cancer (or any other, for that matter) and want to support research.  I need people who sit up late watching Family Guy with me so that I don't feel so guilty.  I need to see them become the men that that they were born to be. 

 

I probably could have planned this mani a bit better.  I used a coat of Sinful Colors Snow Me White with 2 coats of Sinful Colors Pearl Harbor over the top.  I got this pretty blue iridescent glitter at Rite Aid for 49 cents this week!  I'm bummed that it doesn't really show up blue on the nail in these photos, but it does in real life.  I used my Holo Black Striper by Color Club to write and another awesome mustache decal from RLR Creations Nail Art's Etsy shop to cross my "t."  I probably should have made my thumb the "a" to make positioning my hand easier for photos.  Oh well!

The bottom line is that I love too many men to let their health go unnoticed.  I have too many friends, too many family members, too many people who have impacted my life not to care.  You have heard my story and the facts, but the reality is that I am a girl that loves guys and needs them around for a very long time.  Just as openly and strongly as we have demanded attention for breast cancer, I want us to say that these treatable cancers, when detected early, get no more lives.  They've had their share, and now we get to win.  We get to keep the men we love.  A sista needs her brother!  And father!  And friends!




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