May Flowers

Hi Lovelies!!!  It's Thursday!!  The weekend is almost here and that means Summer vacation is that much closer...come on Sunday!!  Today is the now-a-teenager's dress rehearsal.  That may not seem like a big deal, until you factor in all the stuff that has to go with her: costumes, make up (there's a lot), all the dance shoes...  But I can't wait to see her dance!  So I did a pretty and simple design for today's post, May Flowers:

I Used:
Orly- La Vida Loca
Bonita- had no name (yellow with a silver shimmer)
Sinful Colors-  (lilac crème)
Medium Dotting Tool (or a toothpick)

I started with two coats of Orly La Vida Loca.  Love this color!!!  It's a neon-ish, purple-ish, pink-ish shimmer.  I'm just in love with it!!  Then the flowers were just made with a dotting tool (or a toothpick would work perfectly).  Just put a couple of drops of polish on a plate or a piece of paper and dip the toothpick in the polish.  Then just make the dots in a circular pattern. 

You can make this design as simple or as elaborate as you want.  It would also make a great pedicure!  I hope you enjoyed today's post!  Happy Polishing!!

ABC Challenge: S is for Sand and Sparkle

Hi Y'all!!!  How are y'all doing today?  I hope you are having a fabulous day!  I'm so excited and tired.  We have another incredibly busy week this week, but Summer starts Sunday!!!  We have two whole weeks off before the now-a-teenager starts back with dance.  I think I'm going to hibernate for those two weeks!!

Today is the ABC Challenge and it's the letter S!! I have Sand and Sparkle for you!!  Or in other words, Magazine Cover Mouse from OPI's new Minnie Mouse collection:

Pictures do not do this polish justice!  I was originally going to do an accent nail a different color and a Minnie design, but the second I put this polish on my first nail I just had to leave it alone.  It was far too pretty to cover! Here is a blurred picture to show you the sparkle:

Magazine Cover Mouse is a red textured polish with orange undertones and small gold and red glitter.  The formula was a little thick, but it went on really well.  Actually a bit too well, it flooded my cuticles and there's nothing harder to clean up than glitter and red polish (so please excuse the poor clean up)!  It's a glitter bomb, but in a subtle way, ha ha, figure that out.  This is such a pretty polish though.  When I first saw pictures of it in the Ulta catalog, I wasn't impressed, but then when I saw it in person, I had to have it!!!  And I'm so glad that I did, I love it!!

Be sure to check out all the other fabulous ladies and their S designs.  They are incredible this week!!  And I hope your day is wonderful!  Happy Polishing!!

Simple Scroll

Hi y'all!!  See?  I told you I had a post for you today!  But I have to hurry, the now-a-teenager has dance soon.  So I wanted to try one of my new polishes, but it was so hard to decide!!  I finally chose one that I had seen in the Ulta catalog, OPI Significant Other Color, and a simple design to go with it:

I Used:
OPI- Significant Other Color
OPI- Purple With A Purpose
Acrylic Rhinestones (light green and purple)
Fine Liner Brush

I love this polish!!!!  OPI Significant Other Color is a pale lilac duochrome polish that shifts between a light pink and green!!  And the shift is incredibly obvious in person.  I'm so upset that I couldn't get a good photo of the shift.  But see that green rhinestone?  That is the shade of green in the duochrome.  The polish is fabulous!  The formula was perfect.  The pictures show three coats, but two would have been fine. 

Then just using a fine detail brush and Purple With A Purpose, I drew a scroll and added 3 dots.  Then using my top coat (and the same technique for rhinestones I described here) to apply the light green and purple acrylic rhinestones.  Sadly, since I was doing this mani around midnight, my other hand didn't turn out as well:

I really like this design, and it reminds me of two wonderful ladies I know.  I will see y'all later!!  Happy Polishing!!!

Mother's Day Water Marble (& Haul)

Happy Day After Mother's Day Day!!!!  Did y'all have a good day yesterday?  I hope whether you are a mom, a daughter, the mom to a four footed baby, your mother has passed on, or you're just a fabulous woman, that you had a fabulous day yesterday!!  I definitely did!!  And at the end of the post I will tell and show it to you :)

But first, since it was my day, I decided to do what I wanted for my nails.  So water marble is my favorite technique, and purple and turquoise are my favorite colors, I did a purple and turquoise water marble!!

I Used:
Nina Ultra Pro- Lilac-ing Discipline (violet crème)
Sinful Colors- Amethyst (purple crème)
Sinful Colors- Enchanted (dark purple crème)
China Glaze- Aquadelic (light turquoise crème)
China Glaze- Turned Up Turquoise (neon turquoise shimmer)

FOR MY WATER MARBLE TUTORIAL, Click here!






I love how it turned out!  If I had just added rhinestones, it would have been perfect!!

 

And now for Mother's Day.  I am the extremely proud mom to one beautiful 13 year old girl and 2, two year old Chinese Chins (doggies, but I don't use that word), and a wonderful husband who indulges me!  So here is my Mother's Day haul:



The black and white diamond ring is from the lovely teenager, the Chanel Taboo is from my fabulous hubby who read my lemming list and bought a polish I never would have bought for myself, and the rest was an Ulta shopping spree from my four legged babies, Count Damon and Countess Delilah!  I can not wait to show y'all all the fabulous polishes I got yesterday!!  Be looking for them in my upcoming blog posts!!  Have a wonderful day and I will talk to y'all soon!!  Happy Polishing!!!

Shimmering Water Color

Hello My Darlings!!  Happy Thursday!!  I hope every one is doing great today!!  I have another super busy day thanks to the now-a-teenager.  She has her yearbook party (yes I still homeschool, but she takes a couple of classes a week at a co-op and they have yearbooks), then dance rehearsal.  Going to be a long day for the Momma again!  I already want a nap.  But I wouldn't change a thing :)

For today's mani, I used the water color technique:

I Used:
China Glaze- Dandy Lyin' Around (white base with silver shimmer)
China Glaze- Fancy Pants (blurple with pink/fuchsia shimmer)
China Glaze- Sexy in the City (blue with aqua shimmer)
100% Acetone (note below for acrylic users)
Brush (any type of brush, even a child's paint brush)

Water color is such a neat effect that is so easy.  No matter what, you can't go wrong!!  Here's how:

Start with two coats of your lightest color, in this case two coats of Dandy Lyin' Around.  Be sure to put a top coat on once it dries.  This will help keep the acetone from removing the base color.  Once that dries completely, place drops of your polishes on your nail.  Be sure to work with only one nail at a time.  I used all three China Glaze polishes for this step.  Then dip the brush in the acetone.

Note for acrylic and natural nails:  100% acetone can be used on both acrylic and natural nails.  But if that makes you nervous, you can substitute regular polish remover or non-acetone remover.

All you do is swirl the brush, wet with acetone, through the drops of polish.  That's it!!  That easy!!  If you remove more color than you wanted (I had to go back and add the white), then just add another drop of that color..

 

I promise it's that easy!  Have fun and Happy Polishing!!



MABB Bi-Weekly Beauty Question 5/8

Every other Wednesday, the Metro Atlanta Beauty Bloggers will answer a beauty-related question just for fun! This week's question is... What are your beauty "bad habits"?


Sadly I have a lot of bad habits, but the worst and the most all center around my skin.  These are so bad.  I have a tendency to take afternoon naps...in my make up.  I don't always do the cleansing ritual everyday.  I rarely wear sunscreen.  And I don't lotion up everyday, and since moving to Georgia from Florida, I tend to have dry skin, especially my feet.  Oh, one more, I don't always clean my skin as well as I should, even on the days I do cleanse.   Like this weekend, I was exhausted and it was a quick wash and to bed!  Maybe now that I've publicly admitted them *hangs my head in shame* I will change them. 

Be sure to see what the other fabulous ladies' bad habits are!!  Links are below.

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Be sure to check out the other Metro Atlanta Beauty Bloggers' answers! Ashley Elizabeth from Ashley Elizabeth's Beauty Blog
Dionne from Glittery Fingers & Sparkling Toes
Emma from Manicurity
Harri from TrailerHood Chic
Mandy from MandysSecrets
Pam from Pammy Blogs Beauty
Quinn from Mama Fashionista

If you would like to see previous questions and answers, you can do so by viewing the Question Archive here. If you're a beauty blogger in the Metro Atlanta area and would like to join us, please visit our website! We would love to connect with you!

ABC Challenge: R is for Rhinestones

Hi Lovelies!!  Happy Wednesday!  We are half way to Friday and the weekend.  I can't wait!  We have dance stuff on Saturday, but then my Mother's day gift is a trip to Ulta!!!  Yay!!  You may remember the closest Ulta is over 45 miles away, so I don't get to go very often.

Today is the ABC Challenge, and the letter is R.  I can't believe we are already to R!  Someone needs to hurry up and get the next challenge planned!!  Meanwhile, I have R is for Rhinestones!!

I Used:
Orly- Choreographed Chaos (light pink with subtle blue shimmer)
Crystazzi ss10 Aqua Flatback mix (crystal rhinestones bought at Michael's)
Crystazzi ss10 Crystal Flatback (crystal rhinestones bought at Michael's)

I really loved this design!  But of course, it sparkled, so what's not to love??  I started with two coats of Choreographed Chaos from the new Orly Mash Up collection.  Loved this color!!  It's a pretty, almost Barbie, color with a slight blue shimmer.  The formula was perfect and fast drying.

Next I put one thin coat of top coat and let that dry.  Next came applying the rhinestones.  I do my rhinestones a little differently.  I mean, I spend the money on crystal rhinestones, or acrylic ones, I want to see them sparkle and shine!! My way does work.  I wore these for right over 48 hours, 48 of my busiest hours possible...little sleep, dress rehearsal, shows, cooking, showers, etc and I only lost one.  But here is my way.  First be sure you are using a really good top coat, one that levels off (doesn't leave brush strokes).  Place one pretty thick dot of top coat where you want the rhinestone, then sink the stone into it.  This helps cover the edges and gives you longer wear.  Repeat this process with each rhinestone.  Be sure to do them one at a time, especially if you have a fast drying top coat.  This way you get all the sparkle!!

Be sure to join me in checking out all the other fabulous designs by these lovely ladies!!  Happy Polishing!!