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January 29, 2013

Black and Silver Hounds Tooth Nails

The camera doesn't capture how shiny and eye catching this one is in person. For some reason it reminds me of fishing lures my dad used to have.
 

 
The base color is Orly Dazzle and the black is Konad Special Polish in Black.  I have started with a black base before and stamped silver over it (shimmers and metallic stamp well) but it wasn't nearly as shiny and smooth as this. I added Seche Vite top coat and it is shine city. The hounds tooth design is Mash-47.
 

Zebra Nails

Good old fashion black and white zebra.

Nothing fancy or original about this one. Just plain old zebra nails. The white is China Glaze White On White. The black is Konad Special Polish in, guess what, Black. There are two different designs here. The stamp on the thumb and middle finger is Mash-41 and the other nails are all from Bundle Monster image plate BM-223. I like to mix similar plates for designs like this to make it more interesting and there is no shortage of zebra stamps out there.

January 28, 2013

Valentine Nails 6

If a Valentine exploded I imagine it might look like this manicure.

This is like the Blood Splatter Nails. I always use one of those little red coffee straws to do my splatter designs. The base here is China Glaze Heli-Yum. Over that the Splattered colors are all China Glaze Sugar High, Something Sweet and Adventure Red-Y.

Pink Braided Nails

For this design, I used the Braiding Nail Polish technique. If you are not familiar, I did a tutorial, some years ago,  here... Braiding Nail Polish. It's a lot easier than you would imagine. Basically, just layering polish in a "V" on your nail.


My lines could use a little work. I blame coffee! The base is China Glaze Adventure Red-Y. The colors in the braided part are China Glaze Sugar High (pink) and Orly's Dazzle (silver). 

This method requires a lot of dry time. 

Tip: you can dip your fingers in a bowl of ice water, for a few seconds, to speed the process.




Cheat: You can also just use nail tape. If you don't want to fuss with straight lines. In the above picture, Edgy Valentine Nails, the braid is 100% nail tape.




The possibilities are endless. Peacock Braided Nails, was peacock inspired, but really ended up having more of an Egypt vibe. 



Valentine Nails 4

Hearts.

The holiday of hearts is fast approaching. This mani started with painting nails with China Glaze White On White and accent nail with China Glaze Sugar High. Over the white I used a makeup sponge to layer on N.Y.C. Classic Coral Creme (which by the way is not a cream at all but a shimmery transparent pink) over the white and Sally Hansen Red Carpet over the pink accent nail. The heart design is from Bundle Monster image plate BM-317. I used Konad Special Polish in Red over my white nails and Konad Special Polish in White over the accent nail. Pretty easy and only took about 30 minutes.

January 27, 2013

Valentine Nails 3

Little tiny hearts all in a row... how cute is that.


The base color here is China Glaze Something Sweet


It's such a pale pink that it almost looks white in the bottle. Very Creamy and goes on in just two coats but its almost a one coat polish. Pretty rare because in my experience light creams tend to be streaky and difficult to even out. I used Migi Nail Art Pens to color in the hearts.


 The hearts design is Bundle Monster image plate BM-317 and Konad Special Polish in Red.

January 25, 2013

Go Kings Go! Hockey Nails

I thought I would revisit the Kings theme I posted a little while ago. I did splatter nails in the Kings colors so here is a little more Hockey specific design.

I'm so excited that I discovered China Glaze Bizarre Blurple because it is a perfect match for the L.A. Kings purple. The net here is Konad Special Polish in White and I used Bundle Monster image plate BM-209... again lol. 



Blue Argyle Nails

I like this design and will probably be playing with it in all sorts of color combinations.



The base color here is China Glaze Flyin' High. I used Konad image plate M60 and Konad Special Polish in Light Blue for the argyle. Easy.

January 24, 2013

Black Magic Nails

A disappearing design and gradient. Magical.



The base color here is China Glaze Liquid Leather. Over that I used a makeup sponge to layer on China Glaze Splish Splash. It's such a shimmery neon blue that it lends itself nicely to being sponged over both light and dark colors. The curl design is from Bundle Monster image plate BM-201. I used Konad Special Black polish to do the stamp. This looked a hot mess right up until I added Seche Vite top coat over it. The blacks blend and the whole design pops after the top coat evens out all the different textures from sponging and stamping. :)

Valentine Nails 2

These almost look like a heart water marble but they were much faster and less messy. I've used Konad Polish several times in black and white but am just now getting into other colors. There are other brands that will work... my favorite is Sally Hansen Insta-Dri but some of the lighter colors do bleed and aren't as thick as Konad.
 

 
The light pink color here is China Glaze Sugar High. I used Red Angel image plate RA-106 and Konad Special Polish in Red for the heart design.  This manicure only took about five minutes because I just added the design over already worn pink nails :)

January 22, 2013

Argyle Nails

Argyle always makes me think of socks but its cute on nails as well. :)
 
 
I didn't have a pale cream grey polish so I added a few drops of black to an old bottle of white polish for the base color. Over that I stamped on Konad Special Polish in Black using Konad image plate M60. I really like full nail stamps when I don't have much time for nails. This design was about twenty minutes start to dry.
 

January 20, 2013

Dark Checker Nails

Easy full nail stamp design.


Checkers look really neat with bold contrasting cream colors but monochrome checkers are a nice way to spice up a manicure that isn't to flashy. Cream colors also stamp well and are a nice compliment to a glitter polish. The sparkly grey/blue here is Milani Silver Dazzle. I used Mash image plate Mash-38 to stamp on Konad Special Polish in Black.

L.A. Kings Splatter Nails

My husband has been a Kings fan for almost twenty years and since I didn't watch hockey before we met....


The base color here is Orly Dazzle. Using the same coffee straw method from my Blood Splatter nails I added the kings colors in a random pattern.

Abstract Watermelon Nails

Not sure if these are watermelon or strawberry lol.
watermelon-nail-art-polka-dot
I have seen many different versions of watermelon and strawberry nails but this is my abstract rendition. The pink is China Glaze Heli-Yum and the darker green is China Glaze Four Leaf Clover. Over that I used an image plate I found on amazon QA3 for both the dots and lines. Both the black and light green are Konad Special Polish.

January 19, 2013

Valentines Nails 1

 I am predicting that my nails may be covered in red, pink and hearts for a couple weeks. Here is my first Valentines Day manicure of the year. :)

Started with a basic French using China Glaze White On White. The red on my ring finger and the hearts on all my other nails is Sally Hansen Red Carpet. Its full of shimmer and tends to stamp well. The hearts are from Mash image plate Mash-48.

*Tip: If you are going to stamp a design on over a French tip or any unpolished portion of your nails use a clear coat first. Bare nails don't grab onto the design very well.

Breast Cancer Awareness Nails

I'm studying for my upcoming Mammography registry and wanted to do a little show of support.
The base is China Glaze Liquid Leather. I used two image plates and Konad Special Polish in Light Pink. On the ring finger is Bundle Monster BM-321 and the other nails are Bundle Monster image plate BM-324. The glitter on the tips is Sally Hansen Strobe Light.

Pink Gradient and Circles

The Gradient here is hardly noticeable lol.

The light pink at the top of the nail is China Glaze Pink Plumeria. Over that I sponged on China Glaze Beach Cruise-R. The colors are close so they blend well for a fading look. The circles are Konad Special Black Polish and Mash image plate Mash-50.

Pink Skull Nails

I'm a big fan of pink, black and white together.
It's hard to tell from this picture but the pink here, China Glaze Pink Plumeria, is actually an amazing neon. The image plate is one I found on e-bay and it is labeled RuiZ01. I am not sure what the brand is because all of the writing on the package was in a foreign language.

January 15, 2013

Black and Glitter Nails

Sparkle.
The blue/green glitter base here is China Glaze Optical Illusion. The design is Mash image plate Mash-39 and Konad special polish in black.

Tamed Leopard print French Tip

Leopard print can be a little over the top but pastel colors tend to tone it down a bit.



First step was a basic French Tip in China Glaze Something Sweet. Then I used Orly Luxe for the gold spots and China Glaze Emotion for the pink metallic spots. The more irregular the spots are the better and space them out in a random pattern. This is good news to me because I have very shaky hands. :) I used a black nail art pen from Sally Hansen to draw a very spotty and unclosed outline around the spots and finished up with Seche Vite top coat. The black tends to streak if not allowed to dry before top coat. Very girly animal print.

Night in Space Nails

I was experimenting with sponging on black and this one made me think of a night sky or a galaxy.


This is four polishes layered over one another. First one is a coat of China Glaze Liquid Leather. I used a makeup sponge to add China Glaze Splish Splash. The second and third polishes, both holographic glitters, are Orly Crazy Diamond and China Glaze Fairy dust. Fairy dust is my favorite micro holo but sadly it has been discontinued. I still find it from time to time on amazon :) Crazy Diamond is also a favorite but the glitter is a little larger than the tiny little shimmers in Fairy Dust.

Pink and Grey

Not sure if I love or hate these lol
 

 
The grey is China Glaze Elephant Walk. On top of that I layered China Glaze Heli-Yum. To get an even gradient just paint half of a makeup sponge with your base color and the other half with the color you want to blend. I used Bundle Monster image plate BM-209 to stamp on Orly Dazzle for the net design. Little top coat and done. Simple.
 

January 13, 2013

Crazy 80's Nails

Don't think I could have crammed anymore into this design. I'm wearing hot pink scrubs and a bright yellow thermal to work so I figured why not be crazy loud head to toe. :)

I started with the yellow to pink gradient from my sunrise nails. Using Mash image plate Mash-47 I stamped on Konad Special Polish in Black. Filled in some of the blocks with white using Migi Nail Art Pens and added some Sech Vite. I was very careful with the top coat on this one because that busy of a design bleeds and streaks easy. Thumb nail is a prime example lol.

Sunrise Nails

Fade to pink.
 

 
The Base is China Glaze Lemon Fizz. The fade was done with a make up sponge and Sinful Colors Hazard and China Glaze Love's a Beach. Total time start to finish less than 15 minutes :).
 

January 12, 2013

Pink Pattern Nails

 This design makes me think of a quilt.
 

 
China Glaze Sugar High is such a pretty creamy pink! I used Bundle Monster image plate BM-209 and Konad special polish in black to do the diamond pattern. The pink and white filling in the pattern are Migi Nail Art Pens but regular polish and a dotting tool or toothpick would work just fine. Very easy.
 

Fire and Flames Nails

Red hot burning nail polish. Sounds dangerous. I like it!
 

  
I ended up using five different polishes here. The base color is Sinful Colors Ruby Red. I used Mash image plate Mash-48 to stamp on Sally Hansen Cinna-snap. Then, with Milani White On The Spot, I stamped the flame design a little lower than the first time. Using a makeup sponge I added China Glaze Sun-Kissed to turn the white flames yellow. Last I sponged the tip of each nail with Sally Hansen Red Carpet. Smokin'!
 
 

Braided Nails *Tutorial

I like the way this looks, in more toned down colors, but I used black, white and pink. They are so bold you can really see each step cearly. Best about this part is... the only thing you need is different polishes.



This would work with more than three colors. I think after four, it starts to take an already busy design, over the top. I used China glaze Liquid Leather, White On White, and Heli-yum.

Step 1: Paint all of your nails. I painted the nails I intended on doing the braiding on white.  The white and pink will be bright when applied over a white base. Black can bleed through and dull out more neon colors. Cream and metallic polish work the best for this.



Step 2: Paint a line, in one single stroke, from the top corner of your nail, across, and down.


Tip: Use an old eyeliner makeup brush, dipped in nail polish remover, to clean up the extra polish.


Step 3: Starting at the opposite side of your nail, repeat Step Two, in your next color choice.


Step 4: Using the third color, or in my case white, paint another line, from the corner you started with  just under the first line. At this point, I recommend letting your polish dry for a few minutes.


Step 5: Continue crossing back and forth, and alternating colors, until you have covered your entire nails with the design.




Could have stopped here but I never know when enough is enough :)


Last Step: Add your favorite top coat. I swear by Seche Vite. Allow a little extra dry time because there are several layers in this design.

This is not my original idea but I really liked it and this is my step by step recreation. 




January 11, 2013

Pink Zebra Nails

Only had about 30 minutes for nails today so I went with a full nail stamp. Easy and fast.
 

 
The base color here is China Glaze Perr-fect Plum which is a deep burgundy cream. I used Mash image plate Mash-41 for the zebra print and the light pink color is Konad Special Polish.  Going over the same area twice can smudge part of your design even when using a good quick dry top coat like Seche Vite. I always paint one side of my nail in a solid quick stroke and after that side dries I go back and do the other.

 


 
Same manicure with a little Kleancolor Metallic Pink sponged on and a coat of China Glaze Fairy dust for some Sparkle. Picture Taken in the sun.

January 10, 2013

Nothing But Fishnet Nails


The base here is China Glaze Nude. I used Bundle Monster image plate BM-209 and Konad Special Black Polish to do the net.

January 9, 2013

Army Camouflage Nails

Camouflage is very simple and only requires nail polish and a dotting tool or toothpick.
 
 
 
The green here is China Glaze Westside Warrior. Just add different colors with your dotting tool in a mostly horizontal and irregular pattern. I used black, grey, light brown.
 

January 8, 2013

Flower French Tip Nails

I'm starting to get on a French tip kick. These were incredibly easy and only took about a half an hour start to dry.
 

 
The French tip color is Revlon Fashionista which looks more like a dark denim in person. I used two Bundle Monster image plates BM16 and BM-311 for the flowers. I used a dotting tool to add a few black dots to the center of my flowers and ended with some Seche Vite top coat.

January 6, 2013

Lady Bug French Tips

Lucky lady Bugs
 

 
The French tip here is Bundle Monster image plate BM11 and Milani White On The Spot. The lady bugs were drawn on using Migi nail art pens.
 

January 5, 2013

Gold Leaf Nails



The base polish here is Orly Luxe and I used Bundle Monster image plate BM-205 to stamp on Konad Special Polish in Black. Another one of my very first stamping trials.

Purple Glitter Gradient

Glitter is an easy way to add a gradient to a manicure. The translucent nature of most glitters allow the base color to peek through and blend. Some of the full coverage glitters do not work in this manner but the two to three coat polishes seem to add sparkle without overwhelming,
 


 
The base color here is China Glaze Bizarre Blurple and the Glitter is Milani Twinkle. The camera doesn't do the blues and purples in this glitter justice.

Checker Blue Nails

I really dig the blue, black, white combination.
 


 
The base color is China Glaze Flyin' High. After that was dry I painted half of my nails with China Glaze White on White. I stamped on Konad Special polish in black using Red Angel image plate RA-113 for the diamond checker design. I didn't notice right away but the pretty blue color did come up a little through the white making it just a wee bit yellowed but it was hardly noticeable.


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