A Stunning Cowgirl

I wore my candy corn nails as long as I could justify and then decided to transition into a look that was more fall-y.
Last year I realized that I didn't have many maroon/wine colors and added a bunch to my watch/wish list.  I ended up getting a few from my amazing mom for Christmas and haven't really used them, but I'm totally regretting that now!
I decided to start my cozy, rich fall manis with a real stunner:

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats China Glaze Cowgirl Up
*Revlon Stunning
*1 coat Out the Door

How GORGEOUS is Cowgirl Up?!   It's darker in real life, closer to the bottom photo than the ones above, but it is spectacular!  I used 2 thin coats for easy coverage.  The wine/deep maroon foil glows in the sun and micro purple shimmer (see middle pic) definitely shows on the nail.  I can't get enough!

I was super tempted to leave well enough along and just wear Cowgirl Up, but I wanted to post and didn't want to bore you with a simple swatch (plus, there are SO many better swatches of this one out there), so I dabbed some Stunning holo glitter on the tips and  tried for a little bit of a gradient down the nails.  I'm still trying to get the hang of the glitter gradient and think I'll keep trying--next time I think I might try an eyeshadow sponge for more control.  For these I just used the polish brush because I botched them with a makeup sponge on my first try.

Do you have any tips for glitter gradients?  Please share!

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!

31DC: Gradient

Now is when the challenge begins to get scary for me! I am not very skilled in true nail "art" and mostly just paint my nails. I have seen a lot of amazing gradients and tutorials for using sponges to make it easier, but I was still so nervous to try (and post) one myself. Then I found this great gradient and little tutorial and thought maybe I could handle it!

I don't have the same navy blue that she does, but I went with my trusty Insta-Dri Co-bolt Blue. I love this navy! It is a really saturated, rich blue that is almost a one-coat polish. It has a subtle shimmer to it in the sun and the wide brush that I love.

*1 coat Yello-Out base
*2 coats Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Co-Bolt Blue
*Kleancolor Holo Blue
*Kleancolor Holo Pink
*1 coat Seche Vite

This was my first experience with these Kleancolors and these holo glitters are SO pretty! I used the Holo Blue first, like she suggested. I let it pool just a little around my cuticle and brushed upward. Instead of doing a coat over the whole nail, I stopped each stroke when the glitter stopped, leaving the tips of my nails alone.

Then, with a decent amount of polish on the brush, I blobbed it on the tips of my nails and pushed/pulled it back toward the cuticles. Because I didn't do a practice run, I then went back and added a bit more pink to the tips to make the gradient a little more defined.

These colors are so pretty together! I was surprised with how this turned out. While yes, I am ashamed that I didn't clean my nails and fingers up better, this actually turned out better than I expected! I like the look of it and am excited to try again. Practice makes perfect, right?

 

The pictures really do not do these glitters justice.  You can see some of the holo reflecting in my blurred index finger in this last one.  Have you tried these yet?  Do you have any other great tips for perfecting a gradient nail?  I'd love to hear your tips!