Young Love

Despite some coverage issues that killed me with this one, I'm sorta adoring it!
Here's the quick and dirty:

*1 coat Gelous base
*4 (and 5 on my ring finger) coats of OPI I Think In Pink
*1 coat Out the Door

This is SUCH a sheer pink--I always forget how many coats it takes to get mostly opaque.  I love the shade, though, so I get sucked back in...I had to add an extra coat on my middle finger because I smudged it and couldn't recover.  It didn't make much of a difference, though.

Coverage aside, I like the pink and red combo for Valentine's day.  The adorable stick figure decal is from RLR Creations and part of the same sheet I used on my last mani.  The kid-o drawing just makes me smile :)
I was tempted to add some shimmer or sparkle, but restrained myself (mostly) and added a red rhinestone to the cream finish and called it a night.  I'm glad I did--I was pleasantly surprised by this one!

Crumpet's 31DC: Reversed Polarities

Reversed Polarities?!
Basically no one knew what that meant.  Some examples were photo negatives, but that really didn't sound appealing or...right.  The only thing I could think of for that prompt was magnets--I couldn't get past the "polarities" I guess.  So, I went with a magnet look:

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats OPI Danke-shiny Red
*Sally Hansen X-treme Wear Gunmetal
*1 coat Out the Door

Since I couldn't get the image out of my head, I went for an old fashioned magnet.  I used Danke-shiny red, the ever-gorgeous glow, for my base, and added Gunmetal on the tips using striping tape for a guide.
For all of my fails with striping tape at Christmas, this all came out crisp and clean--let's hope I've gotten my touch back!

So what would you have done with that prompt?  If you haven't added to the InLinkz below, please share your ideas!

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 Legendary Christmas

I was doing so well!  Then life got a little busy...so it goes!
I never did a final Thanksgiving mani, which is okay because the design is one I'm itching to try and will work with any colors.  I had an amazing time at home and then an insane week back to work.  I've been wearing this mani for a week now (hence the chippage) and before I swapped it out, wanted to gush over a couple of polishes.  So, here's the first Christmas look of the season!

*1 coat Gelous base
*3 coats You Polish Godrick
*2 coats Aengland Saint George
* 3 coats OPI My Favorite Ornament
*2 coats Out the Door

Just a holo-y, sparkly, festive mani!  I ordered Godrick (as in,  Gryffindor) when You Polish clearanced out her polish to focus more on nail decals and art (there are still some polishes left to check out if you move quickly!).  I have been looking for a holo red, so I picked up Godrick.  This picture makes it a deeper red than it is in real life.  On the nail, it's a bit more muted, like a brick red, and pretty sheer, but still lovely--I think I might try it over another red next. 
I paired it with Aengland's Saint George, which is a good match.  The deep teal has a gorgeous formula and really didn't need 2 coats, except I bumped my nail when it was tacky...
The fine, linear holos look great together, but I couldn't stop there and grabbed My Favorite Ornament again and added a little sticker for Saint George.  Done.
You're only seeing half of my index finger because I have a little corner chip, but for almost a week of not-so-gentle wear, these held up magnificently!

Have you started rocking some holiday looks?  What are your go-to colors? 

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!

Thanksgiving Catch Up

Between school and work, things have gone into overdrive these past couple of weeks!  I have 3 more finals, a final paper, and 9 more days of work before I get a break and time at home!  I canNOT wait!
So, since I got behind and it's now almost Christmas, I'll just do a quick post with the two Thanksgiving looks I wore this year.
This first one is inspired by this look from the Tumblr Sabzii's Nails.  I first saw the mani on Pinterest and fell so in love with the Funky French she did.  Her little feather is amazing and I knew not to even attempt that!  So, I used some of my amazing decals from RLR Creations Nail Art. 

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*OPI DS Opulence
*China Glaze Fairy Dust
*2 coats Out the Door

I tried to find out what polish she used for her mani because it is gorgeous!  I didn't get an answer, though, so I did my best and was really impressed with how close this was!  I used DS Opulence, a pretty, dusty rose with scattered micro particles and dabbed on Fairy Dust for some larger holo pieces on top.  I used two different decal, one on each hand.

Ignore that smudge on my middle finger and look at how awesome those decals are!  They are so easy to use and come out amazing every time I've used them!

My second look was my attempt at this little turkey from All That Is Gorgeous.

I used Essie Mochachino for my base.  Then, I went mainly to my China Glaze Capitol Colors--Mahogany Magic for the body of the turkey and Riveting for the orange feathers/dots.  I used OPI Dane-shiny Red and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Man-go Team! for the other feathers.  His body and head turned out...not as I imagined.  I loved the dots, though!  Overall I'm totally envious of how awesome the turkey was that I worked from, but this wasn't too bad at all.  My little cousins thought he was fun, which is really all that matters :)

Holo Harvest

I love the fall.  I love sparkles.  I love Northern California.  I love pumpkins.  I love RLR Creations decals.  Hence, this mani :)

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener
*2 coats OPI Embarca-Dare Ya!
*2 coats OPI DS Classic
*1 coat Out the Door

I chose this second photo because, if you enlarge it, you can see the purple shimmer that adds depth to Embarca-Dare Ya!.  It is a gorgeous magenta foil finish, shimmering and so easy to apply.  I absolutely love it!  I knew that I wanted to use DS Classic, an unbelievable nude/pale beige polish packed with scattered micro holo glitter, but could not for the life of me figure out what to pair it with.  I didn't really want to go full-on orange to match the pumpkin decal that I fell in love with, and was just looking for a good fall color.  I loved how these looked together and now can't wait to wear Embarca-Dare Ya! again.

If you haven't tried water decals, I highly recommend hopping over to Etsy and checking out this shop!  She has tons of designs, changes them regularly with the seasons, does not charge shipping, ships FAST, and has a great product. 
Not convinced yet? 
These babies are SO easy to use!  You cut the little decal off of the sheet it comes on (about 2 dozen decals to a sheet) put it in water for 15 seconds, then take it out.  I use tweezers to pick it up, my finger to slide the paper back off, and place it with the tweezers.  If you dip the nail you are applying to in the water first, it lets you slide the decal around really easily for perfect placement.  Dab it dry, then add a layer of top coat and done!  I love these ones because the decals are on a clear sheet that does not really show on the nail when applied. I've worn these on bare nails, solid colors, and now a holo and, aside from how intricate and perfect the pictures are, you really can't tell it's a decal on the nail.  LOVE them!
I liked this Thanksgiving/fall look because it was kind of subtle and clean.  Have you found any color combos you were pleasantly surprised with?  Share 'em below!

33DC: most used color polish

If I were going by the numbers, today would be Black Out and Snow Me White.  Those two make their way into almost every mani I do!
I looked over my tags and, while there are plenty of polishes I love and would wear every day, Danke-shiny Red and Golden-I both had 7 tags, so I made a mani with the two of them.  It's a lot more Christmas-y than I'd like, but the numbers don't lie!

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Golden-I
*OPI Danke-shiny Red
*1 coat Out the Door

Okay, ignore the mess that I made of my fingers :) Today I had a midterm and very little time, so I was rushing to get this posted.  I used 2 coats of Golden-I as my base.  This is my go-to gold and a gorgeous foil/metallic finish.  

I love this design from Pshiiit.  She has amazing nails and art and I've been wanting to try this for a while because it's one of the few I think I can manage!  Actually, this was easier than I thought and turned out pretty cool. I simply used striping tape and overlapped it differently on each nail, which meant that I didn't need a lot of precision, and then painted over with Danke-shiny.  Both of these colors just glow on the nail--I'm so excited for the sun to come out tomorrow!

State love

This mani is a little late--things are getting a bit crazy getting ready to go back to school!  But I'm trying to make it an excited crazy, not a scared-that-it's-been-too-long-since-I-graduated crazy.  The only time of year I can tolerate my current retail job is really back to school.  I love the new college freshmen moving in and getting excited for their new lives.  I like talking with the parents and answering questions.  I like being excited for them.
So, with two major residential colleges moving in, we are busy!  But I did decide to show a little excitement with some school nails.  San Diego State moved in first, last weekend, and these were my Aztec nails.

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats OPI Danke-shiny Red
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out
*1 coat Northern Lights
*1 coat Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots
*1 coat Out the Door

I used Danke-shiny and Black Out for the SDSU colors.  I have fallen a little in love with Polka Dots, so I added that black and white glitter as my accent.  After taping off the tips and adding the black, I used a coat of Northern Lights to soften the lines just a bit.  I maybe should have stopped with just the black cream and the shimmery red, but when it comes to glitter, I really don't know when enough is enough!
These actually held up pretty well and got some compliments from customers happy to see a little school spirit.  My parents are both proud Aztecs and, while I may have chosen the college on the hill instead, I love getting to tell all the new freshman that I have State blood in me!

Back to school...

I've been wanting to try chalkboard nails since the 31 day challenge at the beginning of the year.  A contributor in The Crumpet's Nail Tarts posted some and I forgot to write down her name, so if you posted them back in January let me know!

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener
*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out
*OPI Danke-shiny Red
*China Glaze Mahogany Magic
*Color Club striper in White
*1 coat Out the Door
*1 coat Hard Candy Matte-ly in Love

I fell in love this the pin I found of apple nails Cosmetic Cupcake did, so I added it as an accent.  I used a small paint brush and Danke-shiny Red for the apples and just a dash of Mahogany Magic for the stem.  I left these shiny and like how they turned out.

I used Black Out for my chalkboard base and painted in white over the top.  Things got a little dicey on my right hand, so these did not get worn out in public, but at least I gave it a shot!  I can never quite find the right brush to use when it comes to freehand art.  I was going to use a small paint brush for the letters, but decided to give my striper a try.  The brush on it is very thin but long, and did not give me the control that I needed.  Yeah, that was supposed to be a heart on the pinkie...oh well!

I really like how these looked.  I'm going to give them another go with a little more work on the art part, but if you haven't tried chalkboard nails, I recommend them--they are easy (in theory) and super cute!  More importantly, for me, they are a little love letter to my momma as she starts the first grade!

It's My Year

I've been on a cleaning kick recently.  This is partly due to my new found free time after losing one of my jobs.  It's partly due to my parents doing a major clean and purge of our home 600 miles away from me.  It's also largely due to a marathon of "Hoarding: Buried Alive" on Netflix.  I was going through my polish and trying to organize and log it all.  I have actually not bough much polish since March or so, but I had a ton of polishes that I never tried (sort of like my bookcase full of books I haven't opened.  Yet!).  I keep my polish in drawers and cute photo boxes, but that means that I am really only seeing the caps when I look for a color.  I was a little hesitant to mark my bottles, but I used sticky labels to paint swatches of colors and punch a little dot for each lid.  Some (I'm looking at you OPI) were a little hard to neatly apply, but overall this has helped me so much when it comes to finding colors.  It also opened my eyes to some untrieds that I was truly missing out on!

 *1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*3 coats OPI It's My Year
*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Golden-I
*1 coat Finger Paints Elves Bells
*1 coat Out the Door

 

 Forgive the tip wear--I have a habit of painting my nails at night, as I relax, and then going to bed.  In the morning, I often forget to snap pictures before work, so this was after I got off.  In real life, it was not nearly this noticeable!
It's My Year is one that I picked up on clearance at Ulta and never got around to trying on.  What a mistake!  That second picture is blurred to show how much sparkle is packed into this beauty.  The color is like a dark lavender, soft, and packed with golden sparkle.  I guess you might call this a foil finish, and it is radiant in the sun!

I added a gold accent to work with the warm shimmer in It's My Year. You can see how Golden-I, the gold base, is also loaded with shimmer for a foil finish.  I love Elves Bells, micro gold glitter with holo particles, and hadn't used it since Christmas, so I added a coat on top. 
Did you ever find a polish that you kicked yourself for leaving in the untrieds too long?

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?

Monday blues

I've been working a lot between both of my jobs lately and trying to deal with some tough stuff with my family, so my posts have been pretty sparse.  I'm hoping to fix that now, but this week I have final papers to grade, so I'm not going to make any promises.  I do know that I needed a break for feeling obligated to post and, the funny thing is, it has been really good for me but I really miss it!  I needed some rest and quiet time, but I really miss posting here, which is a good sign that I have not burned myself out.  It also means I'm going to try a little harder to work it into my schedule.  Here is the second Liquid Sand polish that I picked up and loved!

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats OPI Get Your Number
*2 coats Orly Angel Eyes (accent)
*1 coat Hoof Lacquer
*2 coats Out the Door

Again, this Liquid Sand is much more sheer than I thought with visible nail lines after 2 coats, which is what the bottle recommends.  This also dries quite gritty, like sandpaper, which I hated.  The color is amazing, though!  The polish is a medium blue jelly packed with silver holo pieces.  I bought Angel Eyes at Ulta with a coupon after this and worried that the two were the same, so I painted them together for a comparison.  Luckily, they are pretty different.

Angel Eyes is a clear base packed with micro blue glitters.  It is similar in color to Get Your Number, but not opaque.  There are scattered iridescent pieces in the bottle that looked holo in the store, but they are much more subtle on the nail.  I'm a little disappointed with this polish, but think that it will make an awesome topper for other polishes. 
I LOVE how Get Your Number looks with top coats in this last picture!  I reminds me of the sun shinning off of water.  I even like the jelly look it has, though I think I'll go with 3 coats next time.  The top coats really bring out the holo flashes, which always wins me over.
Have you given the Liquid Sands a try?  Did you like the feel of the texture?  Did you try a great topper that smoothed them well (mine were still a bit bumpy with 3 coats of 2 different ones). 

Stay the night (maybe not)

When I was at Nordstrom Rack last week I picked up a couple of OPI Liquid Sand polishes.  I had been looking at them on blogs and hated the idea of a rough polish, but liked the look of a couple.  The first I wore was Stay the Night.

I used a base of Yello-Out and 2 coats of Stay the Night, like the bottle instructed.  When it dried, it was really gritty, almost like a nail file.  I knew I would hate it a lot.  My plan was always to add a top coat to this color.  I added 2 coats of Julep Rose as an accent because it is the closest color I could find to the glitter, but it's really not a very good match. Stay the Night is a black base with a magenta micro glitter throughout.

I added 1 thick coat of Hoof Lacquer and 2 thick coats of Out the Door.  This was still not as smooth as I had hoped, but not gritty like it is meant to be.  I was really surprised at how sheer these polishes are.  In the future, I think I will use a black base for this to eliminate the nail lines.  I was not as in-love with this as I was when I looked at swatches, which was a bit of a disappointment.  I'll hopefully love it more when it is more opaque.  Have you tried any of these yet?  What did you think?  Can you stand the gritty finish?

A disappearing act

Sorry!  I sort of fell off the face of the Internet last week.  Between some serious family stuff, extra papers to grade and picking up as much work as possible (including some quality babysitting time) I've been a bit short on sleep.  Nails trump sleep, but sleep trumps blog.  So, here come some quick catch-up posts!
First, this is what I wore the day before Valentine's day.  I LOVED this one and it wore well, but I felt like I needed to switch it out.  I was bummed to see it go, though!

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats OPI DS Reflection
*3 coats Zoya Gaia
*Savina Hearts
*2 coats Out the Door

I used Gaia for my accent nail.  This was 3 coats and still a bit streaky and transparent, so I will use it over a more opaque white (or color) next time.  This white is so pretty!  It has a gorgeous pink-gold shimmer to it that softens the white to get away from "white out" nails.  I picked up this Savina polish at Nordstrom rack last week.  Like chunky glitters, it's a nightmare to just use the brush for a coat.  It's adorable, though, so that's okay!  I used a dotting tool to fish out hearts and placed them along the tip of my nail.

I was dying to use DS Reflection and figured that this was the perfect chance! It applies in 2 dream coats--I probably could have just used 1 and been just fine. This is such an awesome polish. It was a bit different from the other ones I've worn. It is a gorgeous pink (a warm strawberry-ish color?) with scattered holo particles, but there is something else to it.  It has a golden non-holo shimmer to it too.  When I looked at it in the sun, it didn't really look like a polish with scattered holo particles sparkling.  It has an almost 3-D look to it, like a magic eye poster.  Bottom line: awesome!

So, this is just the beginning!

Mardi Gras!

One of my dearest friends has made New Orleans her home.  She graciously let me come visit a while back and I fell a little in love with the city.  I had decided to give myself a little rest and time when it came to my nails, and God decided it wasn't enough.  I had planned a couple of other Valentine manis for the past few days, but I got a nasty little cut right along my cuticle that I did not think would mix well with acetone...so, they'll come later (it's always the season for hearts and pink!) and today I'm showing a little Fat Tuesday love! 

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats Cult Nails Flushed
*3 coats Julep Jennifer
*1 coat OPI Fresh Frog of Bel Air
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Golden-I and Purple Pizzazz
*Zoya Logan
*1 coat Out the Door Northern Lights

Last year I did something similar to this, but  with a ton more layers and pretty much the same effect.  I'm getting more efficient!  I used Flushed as my purple base.  This is really similar to the beloved Fantasy Fire, but not a dupe.  This is a lighter purple, not quite a lavender, that is packed with a magenta shimmer.  You can really see it in the first picture and on my pinkie in the last.  I love this color--it's just gorgeous when you see it in the sun.  If you don't have this one, it is well worth getting!

I added a thin coat of Fresh Frog of Bel Air over the top.  This is a small green glitter in a clear base with scattered silver hex pieces.  On my accent I used Jennifer, which is a pale peach that is a pretty good nude for me.  It is sheer and a cream, and I was sure I would hate it when I saw it in my box, but I've come to love it.  I used Logan, Golden-I and Purple Pizzazz to dot on some bead strands because Mardi Gras NEEDS beads!

I finished everything off with a coat of Northern Lights, a micro scattered holo glitter in an Out The Door top coat.  In real life, it shows up much more, but you can see it flashing in my pinkie.  I almost chose a clear top coat because these are busy nails, but there's no such thing as "too much" when it comes to Mardi Gras!  I'm excited to see these out in the sun tomorrow.  I need to decided on a Valentine mani or two, though, which is proving hard--there are way too many ideas I want to try out!  Anyway, enjoy a little indulgence today!

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!

Good riddance, 2012!

I'm now "home" after a wonderful week at Home with my family.  I didn't do much polishing, and what I did do I didn't photograph.  Sorry!  But know that I did have a super-cute Christmas mani (China Glaze Champagne Kisses with Zoya Logan for holly leaves, red rhinestone berries, and a Christmas tree accent, kind of a mash up of many of my previous Christmas looks).  I wanted to do something fun and festive for New Year's Eve, even though I'm all by my lonesome, but was overwhelmed with possibilities.  So, I decided to do what my momma wanted: dark purple with silver glitter.  My momma's kind of the best.  She has been getting into nails lately too, and she said her students love it when she does.  This is what she gave me, all individually wrapped in a big box:

Out of control awesome, right?!  She went through my "want" tab and found a ton of them!  But now she also knows how much some of the things I waste my money on cost...hmmm.
So, I'm going with her New Year's Eve choices tonight.

*1 coat Hard as Nails Hardener
*2 coats OPI Vampsterdam
*China Glaze Fairy Dust
*China Glaze Techno
*1 coat Hoof Lacquer

I used Vampsterdam for the first time for this mani.  I only used 2 coats, and perhaps a 3rd would have made this darker, which was more of what I imagined.  It is a pretty polish, lighter on the nail than in the bottle, a deep raisin purple.  Like any OPI, the application is perfect and the coats build easily. 
I am still unpacking and catching up on some sleep, so I didn't dig out sponges for the glitter.  I just used the brush, concentrating the Fairy Dust fine holo glitter at the cuticle and stroking toward the tips.  I dabbed Techno on top, and then added just a little more thin Fairy Dust toward the tips.  I kind of wish I had sponged the glitter for better blending, but they are still super sparkly and festive!

2012 has been a crapfest of a year for me and my family.  I am more than ready for the clock to strike midnight!  2013: come at me!  I'll see you all on the other side with a brand new challenge (can I make it through another 31 days?) and hopefully a much brighter year.  Until then, be safe and I wish nothing but the best to you and yours as we welcome this new beginning!