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)!

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: Holo

Too many options again!
If you look at my tags over yonder ==> you'll see that "holo" is one of my most used.  I thought about holo glitter toppers, linear holos, scattered holos, holo accents...there are too many options and I really struggled to narrow things down!
So, I went relatively simple.  I stopped myself from going overboard and am enjoying the end result!

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Color Club Halo-Graphic?  Miss Bliss?
*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out
*1 coat Out the Door

Due to a tragic disaster in shipping, a broken polish bottle in the Halo Hues collection ruined my other bottles and most are missing their bottom labels, so I'm not entirely sure which of the pinks this is, but I think it's Halo-Graphic.  It could be Miss Bliss.  It is gorgeous!  My photo skills are basic, at best, and even I can't take a bad picture of this one! 
I went simple and dotted the Halo Hue over Black Out for an accent.  It looked a little plain, so I added a second accent reversing the polishes.  I almost continued and dotted all the nails, and it probably would have been cute, but I'm really loving this as is! 

What's your favorite way to rock a holo look?

Crumpet's 31DC: Inspired by Pinterest

Also known as "My Blog."

I try to be as up front as possible about where my ideas come from, and they are 70% Pinterest ideas, 28% blogs I already read, and about 2% my own.  I'm a word girl, not an art girl.  I do, though, enjoy trying new things, so I'm so thankful for all of the ladies out there who ARE art girls and creative and inspiring.  I also try to always give as much credit as possible where it is due.
So, this post is basically any other post for me :)  I browsed through my nail board and decided to go for a subtle-ish look that I love:

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Essie Lady Like
*3 coats I Am Strong (middle)
*2 coats China Glaze I'm Not Lion
*1 coat Out the Door (2 on I'm Not Lion)

The colors that Anne at Grape Fizz Nails used in the original mani are a bit more muted and a little different in tone, but I like how these went together (and now have hers on my wish list).  While I Am Strong is brighter than I thought it would be, I like how the 3 colors work together.
I'm becoming more and more of a double accent nail fan, so I'm digging this.  I'm also learning to let creams be and NOT add shimmer/glitter/sparkle on top. 

What have you found on Pinterest that I need to see?  (Honestly, what ISN'T on Pinterest that I need to see?!)

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! 

"Say something, I'm giving up on you!"

I'm alive, I swear!
Between the holidays, travel, school, finals, work, attempting to sleep, and the little things, like taking a shower or breathing, the end of the year was insane for me!
I painted my nails a few times, but they were basic, uninspired, and left on for far too long.  January was a nekkid nail month, so there was nothing to see.
Then it was Valentine's day!  I really wanted to do a bunch of different things, but then it was the 13th, so I had to just go with something.  I promise that I'll be around a lot more now, because I was reminded how much I miss this little "me" time.
So, here's the look I loved:

*1 coat Gelous base
*3 coast China Glaze Good Witch?
*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out
*2 coats Butter London Fairy Cake
*Savina Hearts
*2 coats Out the Door

I used this pin of a mani by @yesnails.http://www.iphoneogram.com/u/278152314 as my inspiration.  I went with black instead of white on my accent because, well, it is Valentine's day, after all.  I used my striping tape that came in from Born Pretty instead of my shaky hand and a heart glitter from the Savina polish. 
I went with Good Witch? to match the pink heart from the glitter.  This polish is so odd.  It's a pretty metallic rose with matching micro glitter throughout it.  It's stunning in the sun.  The mini glitter gives it a bumpy look, though.  It sort of kills me because it looks funky, but the color and sparkle are great!
I never get tired of the beauty of Fairy Cake's holo goodness, so that was my second accent.
I am LOVING these and do not want to take it off, but they were quick and look awesome, so it's a good motivation to get back into things.
Thank you for your loyalty through my silence.  Today I passed 10,000 views, which is not much for some bloggers but really blows my mind!  Than YOU for stopping by and making me smile!

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!

Black and white and pink all over

As my first day of class gets closer (2 more days!) I'm seeing that my free time is getting more scarce.  I'm getting back into blogging and polishing and really enjoying it again, so I'm going to try to find a way to keep it up.  What have you, busy nail lady, found that works?  Scheduling posts?  Any good juggling tips?

* * * 

This look right here is why I know I HAVE to keep enjoying my polish time.  I mixed a couple of polishes on a whim a couple of weeks ago and never wanted to take it off!  I was looking for a quick color change and, of course, that also includes glitter. 

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 (maybe 3...I don't remember) coats China Glaze Pink Plumeria
*1 coat Maybelline Polka Dots
*1 coat Out the Door

LOVE IT!  Pink Plumeria is a pretty neon-ish light pink.  It has a stunning shimmer to it that translates really well from the bottle to the nail--an excellent summer polish! 

There are a million black and white matte glitter polishes out there with tons of different price tags.  I've wanted a good one for a while (and a good black glitter on its own, but that's a different story) and love some of the indies out there, but don't have the money for them.  I'm not big on bar glitters, so that rules out a decent number.  Then, for three dollars, this showed up at Target!  The glitter is dense but easy to maneuver, just one dip across each nail.  I love the contrast between the glitter and polish on this one!  What's been your favorite way to use black and white glitters?

Hot Pink

So, instead of cleaning or any of the other things I probably should have been doing today, I decided to give my blog a little makeover!  I was reading through a blogging FAQ post that was posted on Tes Did It Nails today.  She has some interesting things to think about as you start or work on expanding your blog, but the best little nugget was her link to The Cutest Blog On The Block. 
Oh.  My.  Goodness! 
Their templates are so adorable and I while I really like my new look, I am so excited to try out a new one!  These ladies have so many amazing free templates for all different looks and seasons--I'm excited to keep playing around with them!

I had been waiting to do this mani that I found on Pinterest for a while and was so excited to get around to it!  I tried really hard to find the original post, mostly because I wanted to know what the glitter was, but couldn't.  I really hate when pins lead to collections of manis with no sources!  If this is yours, let me know so I can give you credit!  The funny thing is, the more that I looked at the photo trying to figure out the polish, I realized I already owned it!

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener
*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme wear Black Out
*1 coat Milani Hot Pink
*1 coat Out the Door

 This is such a simple combo of a black cream base and glitter top, but I love how it looks!  Hot Pink is a clear base with medium sized silver holo glitter and magenta glitter.  I realized, once I started putting it on, there is also a really sparse micro silver glitter in it.  I added a thick layer of Out the Door over the top.  The polish is a little tricky to maneuver because it's one with a thick clear base, which means you dab the glitter more than brush, but that is in no way a deal breaker!

The top coat and thick base make the glitter look almost suspended in real life, which was the coolest part of this.  So cool, in fact, that a customer asked to see it and then she kept touching my nails and asking how I "did that." 
I'm super flattered when my customers like my nails and let me know or ask about them.  I also notice their nails and will comment on the manis I like.  I know you look at nails too, otherwise you would not be spending time looking at this.  So, here's my question: do you ever feel like it's okay to grab someone's hand to check out their nails?  Is it super weird, or is it just me (which is ALWAYS a possibility)?

Plan B

I had a big, creative mani in mind.  I was doing French tips, dots, rhinestones...and it was something I thought up, not carefully copied.  I was excited.  And then, at 11:30 pm (even with my whole day free, I tend to wait until the evening to paint, just before bed.  I need to work on that.) I got impatient.  My dots weren't straight and I was at a sad point of no return.  So, I swiped the acetone and was ready to just wear a clear base today and regroup.  Then I decided to do a quick swipe of a holo...

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener
*1 coat Color Club Halo-graphic(?)
*1 coat Out the Door

I am not 100% sure that I have the right polish name.  My order was a wreck when I got it--a broken bottle, a leaking bottle, and missing labels.  It was a bummer, to say the least, and a group-buy site I'll never recommend or use again.  But enough of the sad stuff, onto the happy!

One coat!  One quick, fast-drying, sparkling, holo-y gorgeous coat!  Plan B wasn't too shabby...

 

As I looked that this linear holo goodness today, I realized two things. 
First, I think that I actually like scattered holos more than linear.  Do NOT get me wrong, I will not say "no" to a holographic polish, but I think I like the little sparkles just a little bit more.  Like how I like Phish Food just a little bit more than Half-Baked. 
Secondly, it was weird to just wear one coat of a polish and call it good.  I had a base and topcoat, and I know that's not what a "casual" polisher might do, but I felt sort of unfinished and realized that this is how many people paint their nails and they are perfectly pleased.  No extra mile for art or accents, just pretty polish.  It felt so out of character, but refreshingly simple.
What are your thoughts on holo polish?  Prefer one over the other?  Do you dig a simple nail polish from time to time?

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!

Coming back

Well hello and my apologies!  I have kind of dropped off the face of the earth, both here and in other areas of my life.  I know that no one expects anything of me, but you have been such wonderful readers and so supportive that I feel like at least a small explanation is in order.
Since the end of January I have really been battling depression.  There is not a whole lot that inspires or excites me lately.  On top of that, we lost my grandmother to a sad, difficult end.  Life has just been overwhelming and I haven't felt compelled to polish much, let alone post about it.  What I tell myself has just been "me" time is really retreating, though, and not all that healthy, so I'm trying to come back.  Fake it 'til you make it, right?  Right.  I'm hoping this will help me feel more like me.
That being said, I'm starting off super unoriginal and recreating an awesome mani that Amber posted over at the highly-addictive and awesome Amber did it!  My coloring is slightly different, but I couldn't resist the perfect summer mani she rocked!

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails
*China Glaze Pool Party
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out
*Cover Girl White Night
*1 coat Hoof Lacquer
*1 coat Out the Door

 

I buffed my nails (now that the staining has grown out!) and opted to go nude for the French.  I was tempted to use a nude colored polish, but let my natural nails be the base instead.  I taped off the tips with Scotch tape and used Pool Party for the tips.  On my left hand I freehanded a second coat after removing the tape, but wasn't as confident for my right.  This is a little sheer and needs a couple of coats for the whole nail.  As a neon, it dries to a semi-matte finish, which I like to shine up with a top coat.  With that shiny top coat, though, they looked about the same.

On my accent, I used a dotting tool for the black and white dots, and then the opposite on top.  The one thing that Amber did and I wish I had more successfully copied was the size difference in the dots.  I was worried about making the larger ones too big, but they came out a little too close in size to tell a difference.  Either way, I love the neon pink with the black/white contrast!

I don't often end up doing a French, but I really like how this looks!  I have tons of funky French mains pinned, so I'll have to keep them coming.  This was a fun, easy, cute mani for me and I'm hoping to dive back into this little hobby.  Thank you, for coming back and for having patience with me. 

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!

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: Favorite Polish

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

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

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

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

New 31DC: New Technique

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

New 31DC: Color Opposites

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

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

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

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

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

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

New 31DC: Cheer Yourself Up

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

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

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

 

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

 

 

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

New 31DC: Favorite Color Family

Full disclosure: today's challenge was hard and kinda crappy for me. Sorry! I have a lot of polish. I have a lot of looks and colors that I like/love. Pink is my favorite color, but I could not think of a good way to showcase pink polishes. Skittle? Funky French? Dots? Stripes? Ombre? NO IDEA!

I considered doing more of a hue mani, like all brights, but even that was hard. I really do shift from loving black and dark shades to pastels to brights. I love pink, but also love a good gray, beige, red, purple, teal... I love glitter, shimmer, holo, duochrome... AHHH! What to do?

So, this is pretty anti-climactic, but I had to get something up for this challenge! Here's Sally Hansen Gem Crush in Lady Luck:

*1 coat Yello-Out
*3 coats Sally Hansen Gem Crush Lady Luck
*1 coat Out The Door

 

I chose Lady Luck for a few reasons.  First of all, I've had it for a long time and not yet worn it, so it was about time.  Secondly, it's magenta, so that covers my pink love.  It is a glitter, so yet another plus.  Finally, it has scattered holo pieces, so score!  I'm not crazy about this for today's challenge, but I do really like the polish. 

The macro photos are more harsh than real life--the 3 coats are really good coverage with this glitter.  One coat will be sparse enough for layering and letting a base show through, so this will be one that I'll come back to (I have others in this line that I need to play with too). 
How do you choose a favorite?  How do you do it justice?  Are you able to narrow your collection choices to just one?