Peacock Gradient and Stamp, Oh my!

I love this bold design. It stands out and looks great.

This is Sally Hansen's HD Resolution, Gradient Sponge painted with Sally Hansen's HD Cyber. Then I stamped it with Bundle Monster's Peacock feather all over stamp.

I was able to wear this to a girl's day pool party and everyone loved it and now they want me to do their nails. Unfortunately I do not do people's nails for them, but will gladly show them how easy it can be.

Christmas Plaid Konadicure

More Holiday themed manicures!  I love this color, I used Emerald city from Sally Hansen as a base.  I'd been looking for something like this for a while.  I really like Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear, I like their long brushes and their highly pigmented, easy to apply formulas.  This nail polish was no exception, almost opaque in 1 coat, perfect in 2 coats.

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The Christmas Season has officially begun!

Christmas spirit took over the minute I laid eyes on China Glaze's Party Hearty. What a GORGEOUS glitter!  I really didn't wanna mess with it, since it is so adorable and almost overwhelming.

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What's new in my stash

Hey there! I just wanted to share the polishes that I've bought lately and haven't used yet. 

Konad Special Polishes in Green and Dark Purple.
They are much darker IRL

OPI in Tease-y does it and Simmer & Shimmer,
from their new Burlesque collection

SH Xtreme Wear in Red Carpet and Emerald City. SH nail art pen in White.
I wish you could see the tiny glitter on RC, it's beautiful!

Icing- Sparkle me Happy, Icing-Bedazzled, Unnamed Orange Glitter from Hot Topic,
CG Boundless Color - Amethyst Mist and NYC In a New York Color Minute - East Village 

I saved the best for last… China Glaze - Party Hearty from their Holiday 2010 collection

I would love to hear about your recent buys or favorite picks.

LiLo's "F- you" Court Manicure!!

Boy, was I excited to recreate this one! Lindsay Lohan may be lots of things, but somehow I always like what she's wearing, or how she looks. For her court date back in July, she opted for a super girly and cute, airbrushed pastel manicure with a very naughty hidden message: "fuck u" written right in the middle fingernail. How passive-agressive! Here's how I did it:

Start with clean, short nails, buff them and use a base coat (I always use OPI).

Then, apply the nail polish with a sponge. I used an old eyeshadow applicator, because i'm on a budget here! But you can get a fancy one from Konad (I want it!), or one of those foamy makeup applicators.

What I used

After sponging. We'll clean up later!

Drip 2 or 3 drops of nail polish on a flat surface (I did it on an old plastic tray somebody gave me and I never ever use), Dip your sponge in it and apply to your nail in a taping motion, just little dabs here and there. You have to leave room for at least 3 colors. Repeat this step with every polish for a multicolored effect. It's ok if you don't completely cover your nail. I think Lindsay's show a bit of natural nail down the middle.

Next, we are going to stamp our nails with the leopard print on Konad's image plate m57. I didn't want the print to be that blunt, so I used a regular nail polish instead of the Special one for a soft, almost ethereal look. You can also use a nail art pen or an art brush and do this step freehand.

Finally, you can write an offensive message of your own, or copy Lohan's infamous words.  Use a nail art pen, or a Sharpie for this step.  I skipped it, I thought it wasn't office appropiate, LOL.  Seal your design with 1 or 2 coats of your favorite top coat.

Lindsay Lohan

My version. Please excuse my crooked fingers!

I think my design looks a lot like Lindsay's, and I really like it on her, but I just don't know how to feel about it.  I'm not sure the color combination looks good with my skin tone, but still got some compliments :)

I used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Blue Me Away, Bubblegum Pink and Sun Kissed (toned done with a few drops of white).  For the white leopard print I used NYC French White Tip.

A sea of purple

This look was a little bit more complicated than what I usualy do but I will explain it step by step.

I used Sally Hansen's Deep Purple from their Xtreme Wear collection as a base.  Like most of their polishes, it was very easy to apply, smooth, and opaque in 2 coats.

We are going to apply a tape diagonally to each finger and then use our base color to paint the nail.

Then, we are going to stamp our nail with a swirly design from image plate bm19 and a Silver Foil Nail Polish (Finger Paints Easel come, easel go).  Remove the tape carefully and slowly to protect your design.

Apply silver glitter to the line that divides your design and your naked nail with a fine brush.  I used Kiss Nail Art Paint in Silver Glitter.  If you are shaky like me, you need to do this slowly so you can get a straight line.  Finish it with a nice and glossy top coat, like Seche Vite.

After removing the tape

Apply a thin line of silver glitter and voila! 

Nail Polishes that I used from start to finish!

Fall

Sorry for the delay between posts, there's been TOO MUCH stuff going on in my life, but I am pretty sure you're not reading this blog to hear that, but to see some manicures… On with the nails!

I wanted to do a Fall or Thanksgiving inspired manicure but wasn't feeling so creative.  Also, I had just received some faux Konad image plates (Bundle Monster, 21 plates for 17 bucks) and I wanted to try them out.  

As a base, I used Sally Hansen Laquer Shine in Glossy. A-ma-zing shade!  I've had this for a long time but I forgot about it, and trust me, Im glad I found it! It has the most perfect goldish burgundy shimmer to it. Once the light hits this baby, it just comes alive. 

On top of it, I randomly stamped some leaves with Orly Luxe and White Konad Special Polish.

This is the final result.  I didn't really like it that much, I think it came out a bit matronly. 

I hope you guys have a great Thanksgiving!

The final result

Sally Hansen Glossy.  Can you see the shimmer?

Leopard Manicure

I used my Konad m57 plate for this manicure.  The thing with Konad is that you don't need to get to creative to have a cool looking manicure so, usually I just use a base color, stamp, and that's it.  For this mani I switched it up a little bit.

First, I used 2 coats of Sally Hansen Lavender Cloud as a base.  It looks really bright here, but the picture is really not doing it justice.  Lavender Cloud is the lightest lavender possible, so it does not look completely white, it has a purplish or pinkish tone, which is very beautiful.

Then, I stamped my nail with the Leopard Print from Konad's m57 plate. I grabbed my dotter tool, and filled out the leopard's spots with China Glaze's For Audry, one of my favorite nail polishes EVER, It's the closest possible color to a "Tiffany blue".

And finally, I used Sally Hansen's Disco Ball  as a top coat. This is a clear polish with rainbow iridescent glitter, that I usually think it looks childish, but I'm really digging it today.  Now, I'm going to remind you guys again: when using Konads, it is SUPER important that you apply your top coat in as little brush strokes as possible, 2 or 3 tops, because you may drag your design and ruin your manicure.  I got carried away with my beautiful glittery top coat, and I dragged my nail polish a little bit here and there, but since it's a Sunday and I'm feeling way too relaxed I didn't make a big fuzz about it.  I'll probably have a fresh mani in a couple of days anyway!  

I really like how this one came out, I love the color combination and the iridescent glitter gives it a nice little kick.  

Blurry shot, so you can see the colors of the glitter top coat (Disco Ball)

I read the news today, oh boy

It's been a few days since my last manicure, and I do apologize for the delay.  This time I'm going to try a newspaper print manicure.  This one didn't came out as I wanted, I should have used a lighter shade of grey or an off-white, it just looked different in my head.  But I ran out of nail polish remover, so I'm stuck with it. Anyways, if you decide to recreate this look, I strongly recommend that you use a lighter base color (like Sally Hansen's Lavender Cloud).

I used Sally Hansen's "Wet Cement" from their Xtreme Wear polishes.  I absolutely adore this color, it's a very rich and well pigmented creme.  I used 2 coats.

For the newspaper print, we are going to use some kind of alcohol: rubbing, drinking, the one you have in your home already (for me, it was vodka), and pour a little bit into a small container.  It should be enough to dip your nails in it.  Cut squares of newspaper big enough to cover your whole nail, and set them aside.  Dip your fingernail in the alcohol, and then grab a square of newspaper and press it against your nail.  Try not to move the newspaper because you will get a smudged print.  You need to leave the paper long enough to get a good print, but if you leave it too long the newspaper will stick to your nail.  Use a top coat to protect your mani and to give it a glossy finish.

If there's anything that you guys would like me to try out, please let me know!



Here's what I used for the newspaper print



Polka Dot Mani

I sported this manicure last week and got a few compliments, so I decided to recreate it here...
I got the inspiration a couple of weeks ago, as I was standing in line in H&M. They had some posters in the cashier area and the models had something very similar on their nails.
For this one, I used Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Grey by Grey as a base, and Lavender Cloud for the dots.  I inverted the colors on the ring finger just for fun.
I used a dotter nail art tool for the dots.  You can buy it online, I think I saw them going for $3.00 in ebay, but if you guys can't get a hold of one, you can use stuff you have around your house like a toothpick, a bobby pin, or the fine point of a orange wood stick cuticle pusher.
It's a very easy way to spice up your nail polish, it looks great and it's inexpensive.
Now, the nail polishes... I ADORE both shades! They are super interesting and unique. What I don't like is the brush on these. It's rounded and thick, and it makes the application very difficult for me. The formula is awesome, almost opaque in one coat, but I always give it at least 2, just for peace of mind (I hate visible nail line).

Anyways, what do you think about it?  What other colors would look good together?