A girl and her love of nail polish

Posts tagged ‘nail art’

30 Day Challenge Day 23 – Movie: Wizard Of Oz

I had the idea for this manicure pretty early on but it took me a little while to figure out exactly how to portray it. Day 23’s manicure theme is inspired by a movie, and the movie I chose is The Wizard Of Oz.

Wizard Of Oz Nail Art

Wizard Of Oz Nail Art

My thumb is for Dorothy, a blue and white gingham pattern like her dress. I used Ulta Snow White as the base, my untried for the 30 Days of Untrieds challenge I’m doing simultaneously. For the stripes, I used Nails Inc. Baker Street. I mixed it with white for the lighter shade of blue.

Dorothy Gingham Wizard Of Oz Nail Art

My index finger is for the Cowardly Lion. The base is Sinful Colors Let’s Meet. The middle finger is patches for the Scarecrow, on a base of Essie Mocacino.

Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow Wizard Of Oz Nail Art The ring finger is for the Tin Man getting his heart, on a base of Sonia Kashuk Smoke And Mirrors, and the pinkie is Glenda the Good Witch’s wand, on a base of Sinful Colors Social Ladder.

Tin Man, Good Witch Wizard Of Oz Nail Art

I used a bunch of other colors and lost track a little bit. I know there’s some Zoya Codie in the lion’s mane and the face, the patches are Nails Inc. Baker Street and Essie Very Cranberry, which I also used as the heart. The wand is silver and black striper polish from Kiss.

Wizard Of Oz Nail Art

I topped it off with Poshe fast-dry top coat.

30-Day Challenge, 30 Days of Untrieds

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30 Day Challenge Day 22 – Song: U2 Silver And Gold Gradient

U2 is my favorite band, so there was little doubt as to whose repertoire I would look to for Day 22 of the 30 Day challenge, where the manicures are supposed to be inspired by a song. The problem was finding a U2 song that inspired something I could actually pull off with my limited nail art skills.

So that brings us to “Silver and Gold,” a song from U2’s Rattle and Hum album. This is a very literal interpretation of the title, obviously not representative of the dark themes of the song, which deal with Apartheid in South Africa and the power of money and wealth. Not sure how I would have put all of that onto my nails.

U2 Silver and Gold Glitter Gradient nail art

I found a video tutorial online for a silver and gold glitter gradient and used that as the basis for this manicure.

I started with one coat of Seche Natural nail treatment just to have a hint of something on my nails. Then I used two coats of Orly Rage, a rose gold metallic, to paint rough french tips on my nails. Then I dabbed A-England Merlin (dense silver glitter) along the line where the tips met my nail to start the gradient. Next I added Sally Hansen Ice Queen, silver and blue glitter in a clear base, to continue the gradient. I tried to avoid the blue glitter, just dabbing on the silver.

U2 Silver and Gold Glitter Gradient nail art

After that I switched to gold, starting with Petites Color Fever 24K Gold (gold and orange microglitter), then added some Mattese Elite Je Taime (medium gold glitter). This one was my untried, for the 30 Days of Untrieds challenge I’m doing simultaneously. I finished with one coat of Jordana Lilac Hearts (fine glitter with purple hearts in a clear base), just making sure to avoid picking up any of the heart glitter. One coat of Poshe fast-dry top coat to seal it.

U2 Silver and Gold Glitter Gradient nail art

Basically it’s just a lot of layering until I was happy with it. Pretty easy, even for someone with my skill level. Hope you like it, and hope Bono isn’t too offended that I didn’t try to represent the meaning of the song. 🙂

30-Day Challenge, 30 Days of Untrieds

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30 Day Challenge Day 21 – Color: Pretty & Polished Private School

For Day 21 of the 30 Day Challenge, I turned to my growing collection of indie nail polish for inspiration. Today’s theme is inspired by a color, so I took that to mean I should look for inspiration from a nail polish shade.

I recently picked up a mini of Pretty & Polished Private School. With the recent start of the school season and the feel of fall in the air, this one jumped out at me. It’s a sheer gray with silver and black glitter plus a subtle red shimmer. I hadn’t used it yet so that counts toward 30 Days of Untrieds, the other challenge I’m participating in simultaneously.

Pretty & Polished Private School plaid nail art

I started with one coat of Sinful Colors Slate, a medium gray with a silver frosty shimmer, just so I wouldn’t have to use as much of my precious indie polish. I then applied one coat of Pretty & Polished Private School on each nail except my ring finger, which got a second coat of Sinful Colors Slate. I topped that off with a coat of Poshe fast-dry top coat. Pretty & Polished Private School was as pretty on the nail as it was in the bottle. It went on very will, with little-to-no glitter placement needed. Pretty & Polished is available on Etsy.

Pretty & Polished Private School plaid nail art

Private school makes me think of school uniforms, so I created a plaid pattern on my ring finger, loosely based on this video tutorial from Cute Polish. I used Essie Very Cranberry (also untried), a berry-colored creme, to paint a wide stripe down the nail, then created a tic-tac-toe board pattern with Kiss Nail Art Paint Black striping polish. I used a Kiss White striper polish to create a cross pattern inside the black lines, and then Kiss Silver Glitter striper polish to add the last two lines of my plaid pattern.

Pretty & Polished Private School plaid nail art

Then on my index finger, I used a dotting tool and Essie Very Cranberry to add three small hearts, the kind you might find scribbled on the front of a notebook or the inside of a locker door. I added another layer of Poshe on top of the nail art.

Pretty & Polished Private School plaid nail art

Hope you liked my Private School-inspired manicure.

30-Day Challenge, 30 Days of Untrieds

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30 Day Challenge Day 19: Galaxy Nails

30 Day Challenge Day 19: Galaxy Nails

I’ve been looking forward to Day 19 of the 30 Day Challenge because I’ve been wanting to try galaxy nails and needed the kick in the pants to do it.

Galaxy Nails nail art manicure

By most accounts, creating galaxy nails is a simple nail art project. Well, it is and it isn’t. The technique is simple: dab and dot. Ok, got it. The challenge comes in that it requires a fair amount of restraint. Less is definitely more when it comes to galaxy nails. I read several blog posts and watched many video tutorials, all of which said basically the same thing: be sparse, don’t overdo it with the sponging, leave some space.

Galaxy Nails nail art manicure

But even fully armed with that knowledge, I found it difficult to know when to stop. I think a few of these came out rather nicely; a few are kind of meh. Overall, it was fun and I will definitely do it again.

Galaxy Nails nail art manicure

I used a lot of different colors here, but not all of them were used on every nail. I started with two coats of Orly Liquid Leather, a high-gloss black creme, for the base, followed by one coat of Poshe fast-dry top coat. When it was dry, I sponged on various combinations of these with the corner of a makeup sponge:

  • OPI DS Mystery (untried):  purple-black jelly with gold shimmer
  • Orly Meet Me Under The Mistletoe (Untried): green/gold duochrome
  • Orly Stone Cold (Untried): bright medium blue shimmer
  • Zoya Wednesday: dusty turquoise creme
  • Cult Nails Enigmatic (Untried): eggplant with strong shimmer
  • A-England Morgan Le Fay: sheer white iridescent shimmer
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Wine Not (Untried): berry red with shimmer
  • Kiko 359 (Untried): peach creme

I finished each nail with one coat of Jordana Lilac Hearts. It’s a glitter polish with large purple hearts, but I just left those at the bottom of the bottle and only used the glittery base to get the effect of lots of small stars. Then I put on on a few (too many in some cases) dots with NYC French White Tip using a small dotting tool.

Galaxy Nails nail art manicure

Finished up with one coat of Poshe and called it a night.

30-Day Challenge, 30 Days of Untrieds

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30 Day Challenge Day 18 – Half Moons: Enchanted Polish Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

Day 18 of the 30 Day Challenge brings us to half moons. I had never done this style of manicure before. From what I gather, it’s a vintage style that was popular in the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, so a real classic.

Half Moons With Enchanted Polish Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

The simplest form is probably black and white, but I wanted to do something a little more snazzy, so I used the lovely Enchanted Polish Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, a silver/white holographic polish. This was an untried for me, for the 30 Days Of Untrieds I’m doing simultaneously.

Half Moon Manicure with Enchanted Polish Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

Left: Indirect Light; Right: Direct Light To Show Holo

I started with two coats of Enchanted Polish Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, followed by one coat of Poshe fast-dry top coat. Once it was dry, I used some hole reinforcer stickers that I got at Target to mask off the bottom part of my nails. They weren’t quite a perfect fit, but maybe I could have jiggered it a bit.

Once they were in place, I painted on two coats of Orly Liquid Vinyl, a black glossy creme. I then removed the stickers.

I added one coat of regular top coat to my ring finger and placed a large clear rhinestone on the tip of the nail for an accent, and then topped all of nails with another coat of Poshe.

Half Moon Manicure with Enchanted Polish Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

Here’s a look at Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds on its own.

Enchanted Polish Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

Enchanted Polish Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

Direct Light To Show Holo

Please visit some of the other bloggers that are participating in the 30 Day Challenge this month.
I know we will need a lot of encouragement to get through! Click here to see them:

30-Day Challenge, 30 Days of Untrieds



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30 Day Challenge Day 16 – Tribal: Zoya Yara and Codie

It’s tribal day here for the 30 Day Challenge. I really didn’t know what to do for this one. Tribal isn’t usually a pattern this polish groupie rocks, so I looked around online and found two posts that I used as inspiration, this one and the Aztec pattern featured here.

tribal nail art with Zoya Yara and Zoya Codie

For never having done anything like this before, I’m actually happy with the way it turned out. Don’t think I’d ever sit down and choose it on my own, but hey, this challenge is all about expanding my horizons.

tribal nail art with Zoya Yara and Zoya Codie

 

tribal nail art with Zoya Yara and Zoya Codie

This manicure includes four polishes, two that fit the bill for the 30 Days of Untrieds challenge I’m participating in simultaneously:

  • Zoya Yara (untried)
  • Zoya Codie (untried)
  • Orly Rage
  • Kiss Nail Art Paint White

tribal nail art with Zoya Yara and Zoya Codie

 

I picked up both Zoya Yara and Zoya Codie on clearance during separate trips to Ulta. Zoya Yara is olive green with a strong green shimmer, while Zoya Codie is a dark blackish brown. Zoya describes Codie as having olive undertones, though I hadn’t read that when I decided to pair them together. Orly Rage is a metallic rose gold.

tribal nail art with Zoya Yara and Zoya Codie

I used the Kiss striper polish for the freehand white lines and used a small dotting tool for the dots.

How about you, do you ever wear tribal patterns outside of nail art challenges? 🙂

30-Day Challenge, 30 Days of Untrieds

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30 Day Challenge Day 15 – Delicate Print: Sally Hansen Salon Effects Polish Strips

I’m proud to say I’ve made it to the halfway mark in the 30 Day Challenge, but this particular manicure is a bit of a fail. For the delicate print theme, I wanted to try some Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips, my first time using them (satisfies the 30 Days of Untrieds challenge I’m participating in simultaneously).

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips Vine And Dine

The pattern is called Vine And Dine, and it features a pale blue flower with green leaves and vines on a shimmery white background.

The application on these wasn’t too bad. I used a single strip to cover both my index and ring fingers. They’re a little bit stretchy to enable you to get smooth coverage, which I achieved on my index finger but not on my ring finger (the first one I put on). What I didn’t like was that once on, the strip was a little bit see-through. It would have benefited from a coat of white polish underneath, but the instructions said to put it on a clean dry nail.

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips Vine And Dine

After that I used two coats of Zoya Robyn (bright blue creme) on my thumb and pinkie, and then three coats of Color Club Fly With Me (shimmery yellow-green) on my middle finger.

I tried to do some dot tips with larger dots of A-England Morgan Le Fay (white shimmer), topped off with smaller dots of the alternating color, but the effect did not come out as I had hoped. The A-England Morgan Le Fay dots came out looking more like a failed french tip.

Oh well. I did like using the nail strips so will try them again some time. Not sure how long the open package will last without drying out but I did tape it back up and put it into a Ziploc bag.

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips Vine And Dine with Zoya Robyn and Color Club Fly With Me

Anyone tried Sally Hansen nail strips over polish or do they really need to go directly onto the nail?

30-Day Challenge, 30 Days of Untrieds

Please visit some of the other bloggers that are participating in the 30 Day Challenge this month.
I know we will need a lot of encouragement to get through! Click here to see them:



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