GARDEN PARTY

Yet another manicure for my boyfriends mom! She loves flowers and hummingbirds so she got a full blown garden mani! this is one of the craziest and most intense manicures i have ever attempted and  it took about 6 hours... she is the most patient person i have ever met! lol

The base color is O.P.I.- bubble bath

The design was made using a mixture of acrylic paint, gouache paint and nail polish and loose glitter

Sinful colors - pearl harbor was used over the design to add even more sparkle

seche vite as always to top off and seal the many many layers

purple panel ikat

purple nails ready for spring!

What I used:
O.P.I. - natural nail strengthener
O.P.I. - natural nail base coat
Love & Beauty - lavender
Love & Beauty - sheer purple glitter
Nail Star - white striper (108)
Nail Star  - wine striper
Nail Star  - black striper (109)
Kiss - soft purple striper
Kiss - bikini pink striper
10 PNL - perfectly clear (401)






and of course my nail design wouldn't feel complete without embellishments!
so i added small soft purple rhinestones at the top and base of my nail design and soft purple nail art beads in a random pattern on my thumb and ring finger for statement nails!

Easter double fade

For this look I first created a color fade between two spring shades of Sinful Colors, Sinful Colors- lets talk and Sinful Colors - innocence. Lets Talk is a really nice deep purple and innocence is a nice limey green, both creme polishes. The area where they meet becomes a subdued purple grey.

Next to spice it up I created a color fade with four small sized nail hex glitters ranging from deep metallic blue (at the base of the nail) to metallic purple, then next to an iridescent lilac (where it becoes that purple grey) and finally at the tips silver hex glitters. Then added a small clear rhinestone at the tip, cuz i love them.

Happy Easter!

anti-vday

nails for a (hypothetical) broken heart

Love & Beauty - lime, O.P.I. - who the shrek are you?, Layla Magneffect - velvet groove, Ruby Kisses - french white, Revlon - gold coin (#925),  pink and magenta nail art beads and purple rhinestone cabochons. Topped off with Seche Vite -  fast dry top coat.

eye ♥ U

Valentines day nail medley featuring  bleeding hearts, eye <3 U and pink roses.

I used Sally Hansen - shell we dance?, NYX - NP 21 flash, Sally Hansen - pink promise (#06), Anise - a bud for you, Butter London - rosie lee, American Apparel - coney island, O.P.I. - ogre-the-top blue, Revlon - revlon red (#680), Nail Star - white, Nail Star - yellow, Nail Star - red and black gouache.
For decoration I used iridescent pink bar glitter and rhinestone cabochons. Finally I sealed the design with Seche VITE - fast dry top coat.

Jimmy Choo inspired nails

inspired by Jimmy Choo spring 2012 cuff+clutch, on my newly trimmed nails (semi- sad :(...) now if i only owned the bag to match...

The base color is Ruby Kisses - french white 3 coats, and the black spots and lines were done using Nail Star - black. Next the line was done using Kiss - red wine striper, and gold nail art beads. 

The top of the design was done using Sinful Colors - cloud 9, 2 coats, and O.P.I. - hong kong sunrise, with 1 coat of Revlon - pink chiffon (#911) on top to create a peachy pink. I finally topped off the design with a silver rhinestone at the top of the "V" to add some bling, and topped off the design O.P.I. - top coat. 

BLING BLUE!

I've been really into layering embellishments over patterns lately...

For the base color i used Revlon - midnight affair (#791), the leopard was done using Nail Star - pearl blue and Kiss - blue striper. I then used Seche VITE to seal the design. Next I placed the rhinestone cabochons and created false settings around them using gold nail art beads. 

greek chic

Funky greek design!

After applying 1 coat each of O.P.I. - natural nail strengthener and O.P.I. - natural base coat, I then applied 3 coats of Ruby Kisses - french white.  Then using, American Apparel Neon - neon coral, Nail Star - white, Kiss - bronze (striper), and Nail Star - opaque silver I created this greek-like design. I then embellished using silver cabochons and iridescent orange small hex glitter, All topped off with Seche VITE.

BLING BLAO!

I LOVE BEDAZZLING!

These are my NEW YEARS EVE NAIL$$$! I wanted to bling out my nails, one, because of it being a night of celebration and two, because i'll either be wearing a LBD or something sequined... decisions, decisions. :) Just like I find it difficult to NOT have crazy embellished and busy nails, I also prefer to have two different (or similar in theme, but not in image or design) designs on either hand. The left hand is more simple, it uses more stones, and was inspired by new age, ICY bling. While my right hand has a more antiquated feel, both in color and the mass amount of nail art beads creating a filigree effect.
Even though i have my BFA in jewelry and metalsmithing I really don't wear a lot of jewelry... So i typically leave it to my nails to bring in that flash... and this manicure delivers!

On my left hand (gold) I used O.P.I. - bling dynasty, 3 coats, and on the right hand I used Love & Beauty - coral, 2-3 coats,with a ring around the nails edge using Kiss - gold glitter striper. I then embellished with gold nail art beads which created filigree and "settings" for my white rhinestone cabochons. I then used 2-3 really thick layers of Seche VITE - fast dry top coat because I'll be busy all day tomorrow with my NYE so I had to do my nails the night before and its important that my nails last the night!

I hope you all have a fantastic NEW YEARS EVE and DAY!!!

Heart

I love the V-GAP  whether it cuts down the center or it creates the sweet heart shape, I think it is so sexy!
the negative space created by the cleavage shape is appealing on the nails , i think mainly do to its suggestive directionality. It really elongates your nails, and well like most things that have that same shape... like... toes... in sexy pumps, it draws you in and creates a contrasting soft but fierce shape.
I added embellishments around the crown of the "V" to accentuate that shape.

After O.P.I. - natural nail strengthener, and O.P.I. -natural base coat (1 coat each) I then applied three coats of Sally Hansen - shell we dance (#160). After those completely dried I used O.P.I. - deer valley spice, for the first time, 2-3 coats, which is a really pretty pinkish red that is really luminous. 

Depending on the light the polish appears more pink or red.

I then added small hexagonal glitters about 6 -10 depending on the finger and at the tip of the gold glitter "V" I added a small gold rhinestone cabochon. I then sealed the design with Seche Vite - dry fast top coat.

I'm really happy with the design and I think its really elegant but still playful so i'll probably be using this heart shaped cleavage design for NYE!

24 days of XMAS Challenge : Day 24

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Merry Christmas Eve and Happy Holidays! For my final day of the 24 day nail challenge, the theme was to recreate your favorite nail design. Now, I decided that Jack Skellington was very appropriate for the theme, it being the night before christmas and all, and I wasn't ready to part with dear old Jack, so instead of doing a new set of nails I added on and did ZERO his dog! His colors work with both Jack and the holiday color palette, only more white is involved... he's a ghost. For those of you who aren't familiar with this movie... go watch it NOW!...but basically this is how it goes:


Jack is tired of being the Pumpkin King and stumbles across Christmas Town. He decides that he will relieve SANDY CLAWS and remake Christmas, only the monsters of halloween town don't understand what Christmas is all about, and so he gives them what they want... a terrifying holiday. His friend Sally thinks he is making a mistake, and in her attempt to stop him she creates fog so that he can not see, and will hopefully give up. (sound familiar... Rudolph?) However Jack's ghost dog Zero has a glowing red nose and stands in as the lead reindeer lighting the way to what becomes a twisted christmas and Jack's, almost, ruin. Jack's "presents" create a frenzy causing him to be shot out of the sky, leading him to his realization of what he has done. Trying to redeem himself and save the holiday, Jack rescues Santa from the Boogeyman just in time to save christmas. THE END
This is one of my all time FAVORITE movies... obviously :)
Now that you have the background, here are my nails! enjoy!

To see more of the Jack Skellington nails click HERE

Just like the JACK SKELLINGTON nails i did for day 23 of the challenge, I used Sally Hansen - shell we dance? (#160) 3 coats, Sinful colors - out of this world (#842), 1 coat, for the base.
I then used Nail Star - red for the collar, O.P.I. - designer de better for shading and black and white acrylic paint. I then added a red rhinestone cabochon for Zero's nose and topped it off with seche VITE - quick dry top coat.




be sure to check out these ladies to see their holiday best!

❅ nails and stuff ❃ obsessed with glitter ❇ paint that nail ❄ red hair and black nail polish ✺ Ruby's Nails ❅ finger painted ❃ My Polish Stash ❉ Me, Myself and Nail Polish ❇  KK Nails ✺ Life with Salpi ❅

Thanx for tuning in, and i hope everyone had a great holiday!

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24 days of XMAS Challenge : Day 22

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Better late than never... Here are my day 22 of the 24 days of xmas challenge nails, with the theme ELVES or ELF. I wanted create a nail design that could work with this theme without having to do a portrait or a specific object of or relating to elves, although no looking back on it, if i were to redo this design I'd probably do something relating to a toy shop. However I've been making presents all day and therefore I have little energy left for intense nails right now. The part of the elf i drew inspiration from was ELF TIGHTS (or socks, stockings w.e) What is always used in depicting christmas elves, other than pointy ears , being small in height (with the exception of Will Ferrel) and hats are their brightly colored stockings! Some are solid in color, but most are striped and range in mixes of yellow, green, white and red. 

To make it a little more fun I used a nail polish base and striped with rhinestone cabochons, creating a OMBRE-STONE effect from one nail to the next to try and make the colors work together!

 They go as such, from thumb nail to pinky nail.

yellow + red - red +white - red + green - green + white - green + yellow.

Again, starting with the thumb I used Urban Outfitters - orange 3 (its more of a golden yellow than orange) about 3-4 coats, then used red rhinestone cabochons. Next nail I used Ruby Kisses - french White, also 3-4 coats, and then used both red and white rhinestone cabochons to break up the design a little. The middle finger has a Chanel - nirvana, 2 coats (gorgeous color with a light gold luster) and used red and green rhinestone cabochons to ease transition into the next nail. The ring finger uses the same Ruby Kisses - french white, 3-4 coats as a base, and like the index, has white cabochons alternating in, but with green. Finally On the pinky I used the same orange 3, 3-4 coats, and only incorporated green rhinestones for the stripes. 

This time I used O.P.I. - top coat instead of my usual Seche VITE.

Unfortunately I broke my pinky nail yesterday so the nail looks disproportional to the others. 

WE ARE ALMOST DONE!!! Tomorrow (today) is the last themed nail before a manicure of choice!

Suitably it is SANTA themed nails!

To see more of ELF themed nails check out these ladies blogs:

❅ nails and stuff ❃ obsessed with glitter ❇ paint that nail ❄ red hair and black nail polish ✺ Ruby's Nails ❅ finger painted ❃ My Polish Stash ❉ Me, Myself and Nail Polish ❇  KK Nails ✺ Life with Salpi ❅

Thanx for stopping by :)

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24 days of XMAS Challenge : Day 21

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My internet connection was knocked out by rain last night, and I'm just now getting it back... so without further delay, here are my REINDEER/RUDOLPH themed nails (day 21 of the 24 days of xmas challenge!)


I took a sort of morbid/humored approach to this design being that I did normal reindeer the day before. I also have set a goal for myself for this challenge; to try and make my nails have as much variety as possible by pushing alternative christmas imagery and typical christmas color palettes. 


As you can see I illustrated 3 reindeer skulls (one of them being Rudolph) and two holly-across-bones (skull and crossbones... get it? lol, maybe?!) 
I decided that a softer, feminine color would detract from the morbid imagery, and that the hint of metallic luster would make it feel less flat.
Unfortunately when the internet went out I decided in the meantime I would paint some presents I am making and ended up getting some acrylic paint stuck to my nails and sort made it a little funky in places  :( but hopefully it isn't too distracting. Enjoy!

For the base color I used Love & Beauty - Lavender 1 coat, and to add a nice metallic shine to it, I added Sinful Colors - out of this world (#842), which is a nice consistent sheer micro micro micro glitter.
I wanted to create my own warm grey, but after putting on my top coat the purple really came through!


For the rest of the design I used acrylic paint, and circular and almond shaped rhinestone cabochons for the holly. I then finished it off with my trusty Seche Vite - quick dry top coat.


Todays theme which I will be posting later today is EL/F/VES so stay tuned!

To see more of RUDOLF and the other REINDEER check out these ladies blogs:

❅ nails and stuff ❃ obsessed with glitter ❇ paint that nail ❄ red hair and black nail polish ✺ Ruby's Nails ❅ finger painted ❃ My Polish Stash ❉ Me, Myself and Nail Polish ❇  KK Nails ✺ Life with Salpi ❅

Thanx for stopping by :)

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mommicure

Did my moms nails for an xmas party! she never EVER gets designs... and she generally only wears reds and pinks so this was exciting for the both of us.

I used O.P.I. - designer...de better, 2 coats for the base, and then adhered the red and green rhinestone cabochons using 10 Professional Nail Lacquer - perfectly clear (#401), finally a coat of seche VITE - quick dry top coat!
She was so excited, it was awesome! :)

24 days of XMAS Challenge : Day 16

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Today's theme (day 16) for the 24 day's of christmas challenge is LIGHTS!

I decided to go a different route for lights and instead use candle lights as my inspiration. One of my favorite things about the days leading up to the holidays is the candles my mom puts out. They smell so festive and add create an aroma for christmas that is just AMAZING. She also puts candle - lights (with bulbs) in all the windows and when outside it looks so pretty! Now although i didn't use any traditional christmas colors I think that the nails are warm and bright. I've also been interested in using alternative christmas colors because i got tired of using red and green all the time.

For the base color I used Love & Beauty - grey (with gold shimmer)  2 coats

For the candle LIGHT i first used Kiss - yellow striper  then Kiss - orange striper  on top of that

Next I used Nail Star - copper shimmer, and for the  "light" around the flame I first had to put Kiss - white striper so that when i put a layer of Kiss - orange striper  it would really POP!

For the candle I used Kiss - White striper, and for the dripping wax shadow (which is kind of hard to see) I used Nail Star - silver shimmer (#114) For the wick I used  Kiss - black , For the flame I first put down Kiss - white striper, then Kiss - yellow striper, and Kiss - orange striper. Finally I put a gold cabochon at the base of the flame for that extra shine! Then to fill up some of the negative space i used Kiss - orange striper  in a radial pattern around the design.

tomorrow is TINSEL time!

want more LIGHTS? check out these ladies blogs:

❅ nails and stuff ❃ obsessed with glitter ❉ Polish, Oh My! ❇ paint that nail ❄ red hair and black nail polish ✺ Ruby's Nails ❅ finger painted ❃ My Polish Stash ❉ Me, Myself and Nail Polish ❇  KK Nails ❄ My Wet Nails ✺ Life with Salpi ❅ The only way is Nails! ❃

Thanx for stopping by :)

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24 days of XMAS Challenge : Day 15

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Day 15, can't believe it! Todays theme of the 24 day challenge is PRESENTS!
After yesterdays ornaments I decided to stay simple and keep to a classic design... the french!
I didn't want to use a typical sheer or pale pink base like i have been doing for this challenge but still wanted it to look neutral.

For the base I used Urban Outfitters - nude 5 2 coats. The french tip was done using Ruby Kisses - french white 2 coats. Stripes were done using Kiss - gold glitter striper two coats. Red bows were done using Kiss - red striper. Then to add my favorite thing... BLING I went over the bows on the thumb and ring finger with red rhinestone cabochons and in the center of all the bows are gold rhinestone cabochons, then finally Seche VITE - quick dry top coat.

Stay tuned because tomorrows theme is LIGHTS!

want more PRESENTS check out these ladies blogs:

❅ nails and stuff ❃ obsessed with glitter ❉ Polish, Oh My! ❇ paint that nail ❄ red hair and black nail polish ✺ Ruby's Nails ❅ finger painted ❃ My Polish Stash ❉ Me, Myself and Nail Polish ❇  KK Nails ❄ My Wet Nails ✺ Life with Salpi ❅ The only way is Nails! ❃

Thanx for stopping by :)

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24 days of XMAS Challenge : Day 14

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A few days ago my parents, my boyfriend and I decorated the christmas tree! As I unwrapped the ornaments I was flooded with memories. Memories of being a kid and LOVING how some said my name, some i made, some that were my grandmothers, and some that have been on the tree for as long as I can remember. It was nice to see the ornaments that i remember from my youth, as well as a few new ones that I decided for todays challenge, with the theme ORNAMENTS I would look at and recreate some of the ornaments from the tree! Now because my nails are not as big as i want, and my design included other elements I couldn't do the really complicated ones, but still the ones chosen are tied to my christmas history.
Below are the ornaments/ decorations I was inspired by, and my ORNAMENT themed nails!

For the base color I used Sally Hansen - spark (#06) which is a really beautiful color. the polish itself it a greenish blue (which can only be noticed if smeared), but appears as a solid micro micro micro glitter iridecent blue to purple effect. Maybe its because this polish is not so new, but it was a one coater! I get tired of using the typical christmas palette so I thought a deep blue purple would make the ornaments and decoration pop out as well as be refreshing to use.


Next for all the fingers I took my Nail Star - silver (#114) and made a 1/2 moon of tinsel/branch for the ornaments to hand on. Then using my Ruby Kissed - french white  I dotted some circles on the silver.
Also after each ornament was finished i filled in the negative space with more dots and snowflake/stars in the same silver. Finally gold nail art beads were placed on top of each ornament to act as a ornament hook.


Starting on the thumb: for the ornament with the bow I used Love & Beauty - gold, then put gold bar glitter on top the O.P.I. because the ornament i was inspired by is a large glass orb with a gold netting around it. For the bow I used turquoise nail art beads to tie in some of the same color of one of the angels. The peppermint swirl ornament was inspired by this really beautiful Waterford Crystal peppermint ornament, and is kind of opal and metallic looking. To capture that shine I used Ruby Kisses - french white  and Kiss - red, and then added micro glitter on top of the red for the shine.


The index and ring finger with the angels were done the same so i'll do them together... So first I used round and (american :) ) football shaped cabochons in magenta, pink and aquamarine, the wings i used Kiss - white striper with Kiss - gold  glitter striper.  For the bottom of the angels and the center between the head and body I used magenta, light pink and light blue nail art beads. These angels were inspired by ornaments my grandmother gave to my mom. They are Swarovski crystal and are colored according to my families birthstone, my mom feb- amethyst, my sister oct - rose quartz and mine and my dads- march - aquamarine. These are my favorite nails because i think they were most successful.


The stars were done similar to the wings, I used A base of Kiss - white striper, Kiss - gold glitter striper then added some yellow micro glitter. Finally for the heard I used Nail Star - silver (#114), then covered it with red micro glitter.  Then 3 thick coats of Seche VITE -  quick dry top coat.


Tomorrows theme is PRESENTS!

For more ORNAMENT themed nails check out these ladies blogs:

❅ nails and stuff ❃ obsessed with glitter ❉ Polish, Oh My! ❇ paint that nail ❄ red hair and black nail polish ✺ Ruby's Nails ❅ finger painted ❃ My Polish Stash ❉ Me, Myself and Nail Polish ❇  KK Nails ❄ My Wet Nails ✺ Life with Salpi ❅ The only way is Nails! ❃

Thanx for stopping by :)

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