A Couple of St. Patrick's Day Looks

Last week got a little hectic with an impromptu visit from my dad, the cleaning that frantically came before, and some apartment projects (hello new bookcase and chair!).  My nails took a brutal beating, so I'm cut down to uneven shorties now (see 2nd photo), but so it goes.  In the chaos, I didn't get my St. Patrick's day looks up, so here's a quick post with both.

First up:

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Color Club Holiday Splendor
*2 coats Sinful Colors Snow Me White
*1 coat Salon Perfect Champagne Toast
*1 coat Out the Door

I LOVE Holiday Splendor!  It's a bright green jelly packed with holo awesomeness and looks much more opaque on the nail--somehow nail lines appear out of thin air when I photograph!  It dries a bit gritty and totally comes to life under a top coat.  I'm a little concerned that I can't find an back up bottle online and I'll have to ration this one--I do NOT want run out!  I added an accent with a little gold glitter and yet another adorable RLR Creations decal--St. Patty's day cupcake!

This is what I actually wore today:

*1 coat Gelous Base
*2 coats Revlon Posh
*3 coats Color Club Gingerbread
*Zoya Severine
*1 coat Out the Door

Gingerbread was from the same holiday line as Holiday Splendor and is also gorgeous!  It's a chunky gold holo glitter in a clear base.  I added a 3rd coat to try for good opacity for photos, but it still looks much more sparse here than in real life--you can easily wear 2 coats and look opaque off camera. 
There was a commotion at my neighbor's last night just as I started polishing, so I had to change my plans and go for something simple and quick after spending about a half hour looking through my peep hole at our landing (yeah, I'm a total busybody).   I used Posh, a really beautiful jade green that looks a bit darker in real life, and dotted on gold with Severine.

So, there you have it--another holiday for 2015.  I hope it was a lucky one for you!

Fat Tuesday 2015

A couple of years ago I visited a dear friend of mine in New Orleans and fell a little in love.  I know the city has plenty of problems, but my when you first fall, you only see the good things: wonderful hospitality, delicious food and drinks, gorgeous architecture, beautiful old neighborhoods nestled in sweeping trees, a joyful, resilient people, and a deep, in the moment, love of life.  I was smitten.

So, on this, their day, I celebrate a little Mardi Gras hundreds of miles away.

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Zoya Haven
*2 coats Zoya Logan
*1 coat Salon Perfect Champagne Toast
*Zoya Severine
*1 coat Out the Door

Haven is a beautiful, shimmery purple.  When I saw swatches online I knew this was one color I really didn't have and wanted for my collection and I am NOT disappointed!  Logan is a pretty dark green packed with gold shimmer.  There is no hint of nail line in real life, so I'm really surprised it's so pronounced here.  For swatching I guess you want 3 coats, but 2 is just fine for wear.  I added some gold holo micro glitter on top because you can't sparkle enough for Mardi Gras!

I added some gold polka dots and love them so much with Haven I kind of wish I had covered the whole nail.  My trusty Golden-I is M.I.A., so I used Severine, one of the Zoya mini mystery trio (totally disappointing, but it got me 3 other full-sized for $15, so I can't complain too much!).  The coverage was great, not much different from my other gold.  I preface this with the fact I am not a stamper, but it was easy and opaque and might be good for stamping too.

So there's my little love letter to NOLA, where the streets are now quiet.  Fun fact I learned: the only time bars are required to close in New Orleans is at midnight on Mardi Gras so that they can clear and clean out the French Quarter.  (I also learned that if you've made it to midnight on Mardi Gras you weren't doing it right, because most people begin "celebrating" very early in the day and are goners long before the stroke of 12)

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: Blue Base

I wish I had thought of this for contrasting/complementary colors.  I added a different colored accent at the last minute and kicked myself for not thinking of this a couple of days ago because I'm diggin' it!

*1 coat Gelous base
*5 (that's right, 5) coats Zoya Phoebe
*5 (again) coats China Glaze Sun Worshiper
*1 coat Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots
*1 coat Out the Door

I know, 5 coats?!?!  These polishes are so sheer.  It was only after the second that I thought "wow, I should have started with a white base" under Sun Worshiper.
The upside?  Both polishes are mattes.  The downside?  Both polishes are mattes.  This means that my first nail was dry by the time I hit the last.  The coats went really fast.  Too fast.  I tend to stroke over the nail to even out coats and this causes major dragging and bald spots because the polishes had already started drying before I was done with the nail.  This was another reason why I went with so many coats, but mostly because they were SO sheer.

I am not so keen on mattes, so in addition to the amazing black and white glitter, I added a shiny topper.  I LOVE how the glowing shimmer comes out in Phoebe with a topper!

Do you have any polishes that take a ton of work but are totally worth it when you're done?

Crumpet's 31DC: Topper - Non-glitter

This prompt really only left me with one option: matte top coat.
I have a lot of flakies and shimmers, but I felt like those were still in the realm of "glitter," so matte it is.
All of my ideas for a matte mani also included glitter, though.  If you haven't noticed, I kind of don't feel like a mani is finished without it.
As I scrolled through my Pinterest board, I rediscovered this awesome mani by none other than the Nailasaurus herself, Sammy.  Decision made.

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out
*2 coats Zoya Storm
*Hard Candy Matte-ly In Love
*Out the Door

This was nicely straightforward.  Black base, matte topper, then shiny top coat on the tips.
Done!

Crumpet's 31DC: Recreate One of Your Own Old Manis

This was a tough one for me!  I originally started this blog for 2 reasons: to earn extra entries in giveaways by sharing the information and remembering/documenting polish looks I tried and liked.  I've felt a lot of pressure NOT to recreate old looks. which is really why I liked this--silly, huh?
There were plenty of designs or color combos that I LOVED and thought about wearing again, as well as looks I...butchered, for lack of a kinder word...that I'd like a second chance on.
With so much to think over, I went simple and obvious.  This is the first mani I ever posted:

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Zoya Zuza
*2 coats Icing Lemme See Your Peacock (accent)
*1 coat Out the Door

This was actually a combo I loved then and love now.  The glitters work well with Zuza, which I never get tired of wearing.  (The whole Surf collection was gorgeous and remain some of my favorite polishes).  Zuza is 2 easy, thin, perfect coats, just as it was then.  Lemme See Your Peacock got super thick, so I dumped polish thinner in.  While it revives, it's still a little difficult, so I had to dab a bit.  No biggie!
So there it is--where this blog, though DEFINITELY not my love of polish and nail art, started.

What have you revisited that you love better/improved upon?  What do you think I should give another try?

Crumpet's 31DC: Rainbow

I'll keep it short and sweet tonight since it's later than I had planned.  I've been dying to try a mani like this one by Bregje at Oooh, Shinies! and decided to do a variation on it for my rainbow mani.

*1 coat Gelous base
*3 coats NYC Skyline Blue
*Zoya America
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Sun Kissed
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Mellow Yellow
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Green With Envy
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Blue Me Away!
*China Glaze Gothic Lolita
*1 coat Out the Door

I picked up Skyline Blue at Target on clearance (under $1!) and thought it would make a nice sky for my rainbow.  It's a slightly shimmery pale blue.  I had some dragging patches, so I went with 3 coats for evenness, but you could do 2 careful thick ones too.
I dotted on my colors, overlapping between nails a bit.  My only regret is that my base is darker than I thought, so Green With Envy doesn't have enough contrast to really pop.  Other than that, I'm liking this one!

Crumpet's 31DC: Tranquility

I'm a bit behind with this prompt, ironically, because I was relaxing.  On Friday I just didn't feel like doing anything after work, so polishing waited.
I thought through so many calming and soft colors, but pretty quickly realized what I wanted to do for this prompt.
I'm from a small town in wine and redwood country.  I now live in a big city on the beautiful Pacific.  There are a lot of things I love about San Diego, but a lot of things that I've grown tired of.  When I go home, there is quiet.  There is stillness.  There are old, towering redwoods. 
There are stars.
I miss dark skies full of stars.  They make me feel calm.

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Zoya Song
*2 coats Zoya Dream (accent)
*1 coat Wet 'n' Wild Kaleidoscope
*Cover Girl Boundless Color White Knight
*1 coat Out the Door

I did a simple "starry" sky with Song on most nails, a pretty, shimmery navy blue that is much darker in person than my photos.  I did a thick coat of Kaleidoscope, a favorite silver holo glitter, on top for "stars."  Then, on my accent, I used Dream, an almost perfect match to Song except that it's full of scatter micro holo glitter.  On top, I dotted on the big dipper, which I always look for when I'm home.  I sealed it all with a shiny top and fell in love.
As Switchfoot says, "When I look at the stars, I feel like myself..."

What do you find calming to see on your nails?

One last Christmas look...

Oh man, life can really get in the way of plans sometimes, you know?
I had this mani, which I LOVED, and another one that I had been waiting a long time to do, to show for Christmas.  But then I had to pack and fly home and a week had gone by before it started chipping and I hadn't snapped a picture. 
Then I was SO ready to start the new 31 day challenge.  But it had to wait until I got back from vacation.  Which was when I promptly came down with the flu.  Ugh.
So, there have been a couple of manis that didn't make it to my camera, but I'm fever-free and ready to start postin'!
So, this is a Christmas mani I originally saw on The Swatching Sprite (I'm so sad she's stopped posting--I loved this blog!) and had been dying to try.  Except for some pesky topcoat smearage, I LOVED how these turned out!

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Cover Girl White Night
*1 coat Zoya Ginessa
*Revlon Posh
*Zoya America
*1 coat Out the Door

I loved these polka dots!  Ginessa is a gorgeous white shimmer that, for opacity, is best layered over a white cream, and it's such a pretty base!  I fought every instinct and let the red, green, and white cream dots stand alone.  I like the lighter tone of America and Posh together.  I even liked the design of the dots (which I am so excited to do again and again for different holidays/color combos!).  I even waited a full 15 minutes but it still dragged the red :(  In real life, it was totally not as noticeable. 

Any tips for keeping a topcoat from dragging colors below?  Please share!

...And Presents Under the Tree

My striping tape skills failed me again on this one, which I saw on Pinterest and traced back to the ever-amazing Manicurator, Victoria. I was SO meticulous in my taping, too, trying to make sure I could get the strips off quickly when I was done polishing so that I'd get clean lines.  Apparently I was not as fast as I thought...so, plan B:

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Golden-I
*2 coats China Glaze Angel Wings
*2 coats China Glaze Ruby Pumps
*Zoya Logan
*Wet 'n' Wild Kaliedoscope
*2 coats Out the Door

I loved the gold on this one--Golden-I has such a gorgeous shimmer to it and the holo sparkle of Angel Wings were perfect together.  Angel Wings glows behind the tree!  I painted over my failed stripes with the perfect green foil of Logan.  I like that you can still see the edges (total accident) so it looks more like a tree than a triangle.  I dabbed on some Kaleidoscope for decoration and added a rhinestone topper. 
What's a tree without presents?  I love the "wrapped present" nails and used the ever-awesome Ruby Pumps.  While nothing ever looks as good in a macro photo, my "ribbons" weren't too bad on these accents.  I added a bow sticker, some glossy topper, and called it a festive day!

There are still a few polishing days left before Christmas--what's your favorite tree design?  What should I try before the season's over?

Christmas Stripes

It seems I took too much time away from nail art this year because the simplest things have given me a heckuva time lately!
I saw this pin, which is from Work Play Polish, in a guest post from Kellie Gonzo.  You following me?  The main point is, it's adorable and I wanted to give it a try!

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats China Glaze Winter Holly
*2 coats OPI Danke-shiny Red
*2 coats Cover Girl Boundless Color White Night
*Zoya Logan
*Salon Perfect Champagne Toast
*2 coats Out the Door

I've never been able to paint straight lines, so I pulled out my striping tape for the accent.  They were lined up beautifully, spaced perfectly.  Then, I painted with Logan and pulled the tape up...and was too slow.  Most of the stripes came up with it.  I had to freehand the stripes back on, which worked MUCH better on my left hand than my right (not that you've had that happen).  Hearts are a really easy accent to add, but again, I'm pretty basic in my skills, so I added a red rhinestone instead.
I used the always wonderful Danke-Shiny red, smooth, shimmery, and rich.  I wanted a little more sparkle, so I added Champagne This went went well with Winter Holly, a dense, dark green and holo gold glitter that dries very gritty but covers well.  This picture REALLY doesn't do it justice--it's gorgeous!
This original design is so adorable and luckily something I can try again with any color combo.  Overall, this wasn't horrible, just not as neat as I hoped.

Do you have any tips on painting crisp, straight lines?  Do tell!

A Thankful Movember

This is the first year since 2006 that I will get to go home and spend Thanksgiving with my family and I canNOT wait!  That being said, November will be over before I know it and I really wanted to get another Movember mani in.  I was struggling for some inspiration.  (It struck and I must warn you, I'm feeling full of some thoughts, so this post is a little long-ish.  I make no apologies.)

*1 coat Gelous base
*4 coats China Glaze 108 Degrees
*4 coats Zoya Harper (accent)
*1 coat Wet 'n' Wild Kaleidoscope
*1 coat Out the Door

Mani deets: I had to use FOUR coats of each of these polishes and still have some noticeable visible nail lines.  They are sheer!  But, they are also super pretty, so I'll remember to layer them in the future.  I wanted a dark pink and realized that, despite my bigger-than-I-like-to-admit collection, I really don't have one!  108 Degrees is my darkest and a pretty shimmering berry pink.  Harper is a light pink PACKED with iridescent shimmer and glitter.  I added an RLR Creations decal mustache, obviously because they are awesome :)  I am loving this one!

I was trying so hard to think of something inspired by men's health or my dad.  I was coming up blank.  I couldn't think of anything except that this cause has become dear to me because I am an all-out daddy's girl. 
I went with sparkly, bright, over the top pink because that's what I love.  I am thoroughly a stereotypically girly girl.  I am my dad's firstborn.  I know men have a special dream of having a son, someone just like them, but if he was ever disappointed that his first was a daughter, it was his little secret.
My dad has supported and embraced all that it is to raise a girl.  He loves my brothers, too, and did more than his share of coaching and camping and rough and tumble play with them.  He also, however, buys me nail polish (awesome story: when the OPI San Francisco line came out, he went to a salon and bought almost the whole collection to send me.  He stopped short, worried he'd gone overboard.  He knew I liked OPI and also wanted to send me something to remind me of home.  Dad of the year, am I right?).  He watches terrible TV with me (cough*Grey's Anatomy*cough).  He learned to get excited about Mock Trial and dolls and Broadway musicals and let me be me. 

Especially at this time of year, I am SO thankful for the support and love he has shown me in every aspect of my life.  I am thankful that he made a decision to be healthy for his family and himself, faithfully going in for checkups and not-particularly-enjoyable tests.  He kept a brave face and positive attitude when he was diagnosed with cancer and worked with amazing doctors to make the best decisions for him. 
He didn't let cancer win.  He got ahead of it because he has bigger, more important things to do in life.  He was open about the hard parts and strong through the scary parts.  I am thankful that his experience was not worse, that he and his doctors let early detection ease his fight. 

I am thankful for my dad.

So, I figured it was fitting to celebrate a man that I love, a father who embraces all of the girly-ness of his daughter, for this last Movember mani.  Men's health affects women too.  That's why we need to care.  That's why we DO care.  It's not necessarily the most comfortable thing to talk about, because it's personal and private and scary.  I think that's why this movement is so awesome--it makes it easy to talk about in a casual way. 

A final Movember thought: I found some pins while creating my Movember Pinterest board that I thought were brilliant.  (Word of warning: these are probably the least suitable for work)  The Checkum Testicular Cancer Awareness Campaign is a UK photo series of famous men, many athletes, strategically posed in their birthday suits.  The ads read "Embarrassed?  The only person embarrassed by this is you."  This, I think, is the essence of Movember.  And breast cancer awareness.  And mental health awareness.  And SO many other issues we face.  Your doctor has heard and seen it ALL.  Like, more insane and weird than you could ever imagine ALL.  The have learned not to bat an eye at weird question or concerns.  I am just as guilty as most when it comes to this, but it is a striking, effective reminder that this is not the time to feel embarrassed because it's your health, or the health of someone you love.  Take a deep breath, embrace the awkward, and remember that it will pass and then life can move on.  

Thanks for sticking through this long post with me!  If you didn't, well, that's okay too.  I understand.

If you've been rocking some Movember looks, let me know!  Feel free to leave a comment below with a link to your manis--I'd love to see them! 

Golden fall

I. Am. LOVING. This!
I was feeling SUPER uninspired last night, but needed to change out my mani.  I was trying so hard to think of something creative and fall-inspired so that I could post (there are so many awesome swatchers out there--I don't really feel justified posting a simple polish change).  I was tired and decided to go boring with a simple accent color and call it a night.  
Sometimes simple is perfection. 

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Zoya Channing
*2 coats OPI My Favorite Ornament (accent)
*1 coat Out the Door (2 on accent)

Ahhh!  Warm, glowing, autumn perfection!  I've had both of these colors for a while and really regret not wearing them sooner.  Channing is a rusty orange foil finish with gorgeous, shimmering flecks.  This was 2 easy, thin coats. 

My mom gave me My Favorite Ornament last Christmas.  It wasn't on my wish list because it's just another gold glitter...except it's amazing!  (Side note: my mom's awesome and clearly knows me better than I know myself) This is a fine white-gold glitter.  I used two coats here and, while you can see nail line in the photo, in real life you can't.  This sparkler dries gritty, so I used 2 thick coats of topper and may add a 3rd tonight.  It's so pretty though!  The picture above is a little blurry so you can see the sparkle better on the accent--love it!
I was ready to stop after the polish but had a little baggie of of decals sitting on my table.  I saw a sheet of stickers that I think I won, definitely didn't buy, and didn't expect to like.  The little swirls are a sticker (I know, I could try to paint them on, but let's be real--it would not end like this!) and I LOVE it!  It was the perfect little extra.
I'm trying to post more often, and I'm so sad that this one will get taken off sooner rather than later.  I could stare at this all day (and may have for much of the afternoon while I typed...).

Have you been surprised by something you underestimated?  Is there a sleeper gem I should try?  Do tell!

Funky Halloween French

For today's look, I revived a look that I LOVED when I did it here and here.  It's pretty easy to do when you use striping tape because it gives a good, even stripe of color between the French tip layers. 

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Zoya Myrta
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out
*1 coat Out the Door

The one thing I see I always forget is to be careful on the tips with this look.  It seems, no matter how great they look in real life, on camera the base color always peeks out!
I underestimate how much I love my Zoya colors!  I mentioned recently that I loved their Ornate collection scattered holos and I also swoon over the foils in their Surf collection.  Myrta is a gorgeous, rusty orange with the strong shimmer that gives it a metallic look in the shade and a glow in the sun.  I went with this more muted orange and my trusty Black Out on the tips, guided by striping tape.  I forgot how simple but striking this look is and love it!

Do you have any good advice to learning (and remembering!) to wrap your tips when you polish?  Please share!

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?

Halloween left-overs

I know, I know, you're thinking about Thanksgiving left-overs and I'm sounding a little out of it.  Well, I am a little out of it.  Between interning, class, and work, my time has dwindled.  With it, my li'l blog has been neglected.  Actually, my nails have too.  I haven't done too many interesting looks and often simply polish one simple color to keep them covered and neat.
But, here are 2 Halloween looks that I did enjoy, but did not get up.

 *1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener

*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Green With Envy

*Zoya Storm

*Zoya Aurora 

*1 coat Out the Door

Polka dots--easy!  I wanted witchy colors, and loved the holo sparkle contrast of the Zoyas on the cream finish of Green With Envy.

 

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener

*3 coats China Glaze Some Like it Haute

*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out

*Cover Girl Boundless Color Candy Corn

*3 coats Spoiled Vitamin C

*3 coats China Glaze I Herd That

*1 coat Out the Door

I tried to somewhat recreate a Christmas mani that I loved from last year, pattern-wise.  This didn't turn out as I really envisioned, but I love the glittery polishes, so I can't really complain.  As you an see, the orange Vitamin C is incredibly sheer (I really only did 3 coats of the others because I did one coat for each every time I added one), so if you love that orange shimmer, consider a base coat.

So, here's my out of season Halloween looks!

Candy Corny?

This was the first Halloween mani I did this Halloween.  I am a sucker for Candy Corn.  I love it.  I was crushed to hear that it is the most hated Halloween treat (and I totally don't think that's true).  I wanted to do a Candy Corn mani without going overboard or taking too much time.  The result was...well, it was.

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener
*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Mellow Yellow
*Cover Girl Boundless Color Candy Corn
*Wet 'n' Wild French White Creme
*Zoya Myrta
*1 coat Out the Door Northern Lights
*1 coat Out the Door

Ignore the tip wear--it took me a couple of days to snap some photos and it's the lease noticeable here.  I wanted to use the candy corn accent with a French.  My oranges are rather thin, so I used Myrta for the tips over my natural nails.  This is a gorgeous, burnt orange with a sparkling foil finish.  Unfortunately, it kind of clashes with the candy corn.  I was disappointed in the color coordination here.  I liked my accent and I liked my French, but together they didn't quite work liked I had hoped.
Have you ever had that happen--colors just not quite working that you had high hopes for?

33 DC: tape

So I'm a little late on this one, but I felt better when I saw that none other than Ms. Debbie Crumpet was late too :)
I had this mani done last night but was just too wiped out to photograph, upload and post.  Learning takes a lot more energy than I remembered!
Tape is quickly becoming as comfortable for me as dots.  I received my first roll of striping tape in a giveaway and it has lasted forever!  I think I'm going to order some more, though, because I love using it and want to try using it on its own as well, instead of just for clean lines.  I used to always use Scotch tape for lines, and it works okay, but striping tape never lets any polish seep under and is just so crisp!  Using it for this look has become a bit of a favorite of mine:

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats Zoya Aurora
*Zoya Storm
*1 coat Out the Door

Really, these can just speak for themselves!  Gratuitous  holo shots are always welcome, right?  I used Aurora as my base and taped off the tips and then left a little gap before taping off the bottom of the area I polished, and then used Storm as the tip.  LOVE it!

I don't want to get too cocky here, but I'm feeling pretty comfortable with striping tape at this point.  Do you have any cool tips or techniques for me to try?  Do tell!

Take two!

I really loved the funky French that I did in my last post, so when it started chipping I decided to give it another go with slightly different colors.  I was a little less happy with this only because I went a little faster, which means that I made a couple mistakes.

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener
*2 coats Sally Hansen Insta-dri Man-go Team!
*Zoya Kimber
*1 coat Out the Door

Man-go Team! is another clearanced polish I found at Target.  This is a more orange, warm yellow, reminding me of marigolds.  It covers well in a clean cream finish.

 

You can see in the second photo that I got a little over excited and added my top coat too soon.  Ugh!  I need to learn patience, but it's so hard when you want to protect something that looks cool!  I just need to remember I'm doing more harm than good when I rush. 
I am so glad that I found my striping tape again.  I do have some trouble with it curling up though, which made for a mess on my right thumb.  Have any of you found a good way to avoid that?  Do tell!