Red French Tip

Hi again!  As promised, here's my second post of the day.  If you are looking for a more classic look, or something more elegant, I may have what you are looking for:

This is a matte/glossy French tip.  And I promise the hardest thing about this design was figuring out what to call it!

I Used:
Orly- Smolder (dark red shimmer)
NYC- Matte Me Crazy (matte top coat)
Pro FX- Quick Dry High Gloss Top Coat
Crystal Rhinestones

I started with two coats of Orly Smolder .  After that had dried completely, I taped off the ends of my nails (see my tips for creating the perfect French tips here) and then painted the nail beds with the NYC matte top coat.  Then I painted the tips with the Pro-FX high gloss top coat free hand.  You do need to paint the tips to give your nails a smooth finish and feel.

One special thing I did was use real crystal rhinestones as opposed to the acrylic ones sold in beauty supply stores.  You can find them at your local hobby/craft store.  I found mine at Michael's for under $5.00.  I do have two different sizes on too.  Start by placing a dot of the matte top coat in the middle of your nail.  Then place the largest rhinestone.  Then repeat, placing the smaller rhinestones around the larger one.'

I hope y'all enjoy it!  Have a fabulous New Year's Eve!! And be sure to post pictures of your nails and outfits on my facebook page.  Happy Polishing!!

Fireworks II

Happy New Year's Eve!!!!  I hope y'all are having a great day.  So what plans do you have for tonight?  What are you wearing?  Go to my facebook page and post pictures of your dress and nails!  My mani is killer, my clothes...sweatshirt and lounge pants, lol.  We are spending the night at home with our 12 year old, eating seafood (crab & shrimp), pizza rolls and playing board games.  Still a fabulous way to spend the New Year!

So as a result of spending all night on a web site called Epic Fail (it's hilarious), I have two last minute manicures for you today.  Here's the first, another firework design:

I Used:

Sinful Colors- Black on Black (black crème)
Milani- 3D (gold holographic)
Milani- HD (silver holographic)
Small Liner Brush

I started with two coats of Sinful Colors Black on Black.  Once that was dry, I used a small liner brush (you could use a toothpick to drag the polish too), and painted the gold fireworks first:

I like how they look with just the gold too (please forgive the lighting, I broke the light to my light box).

Then using Milani HD, I painted the silver fireworks.  I love how these turned out,  I think they are festive fireworks while still looking classy.  I hope you enjoy them too.  As always, if you have any questions, please let me know.  Happy Polishing!!

Fireworks I

Hi Everyone!  So, do y'all have your plans made for New Year's Eve?  I think I do.  We have a ton of our favorite food (seafood for me!!) and we are going to pig out and play board games with our almost teenager.  Now if the hubby and I can just stay awake until midnight!!

Today I have fireworks for you, because what's New Year's without fireworks:

(Please excuse the very dry hands, I'm working on them!)

I Used:
Sally Hansen- Petrol (dark blue crème)
Wet-n-Wild- The Gold & the Beautiful (shimmery gold)
Orly- Miss Conduct (fuchsia jelly with fuchsia micro glitter)
Sinful Colors- Heavy Metal (shimmery silver)
Orly- Shine On Crazy Diamonds (clear base with micro holographic glitter)
Small Liner Brush (toothpick will work too)

To start this manicure, I painted two coats of Sally Hansen Petrol.  Then using a small liner brush (or toothpick), I just drew  the fireworks.  The only trick to this manicure is to make the fireworks look random.  Then I added Orly Shine on Crazy Diamond to give the night stars.

I hope y'all  enjoy this manicure!  Happy Polishing!!

Purple and Gold Water Marble

Good Morning everyone!!  Did y'all get any sleep?  Me either!!  New laptop + new Wi-Fi in house + trying to figure out how to use new laptop = absolutely no sleep for me!!  But as a result, I'm able to get two posts on in one day!

So this is what I ended up wearing on Christmas, a gold and purple water marble:

NOTE:  Click here to see my step-by-step tutorial on water marbling.

I Used:
Milani- 3D (holographic gold)
Color Club- Glitter Wonderland (purple with blue & red shimmer)

I started with two coats of Milani 3D.  I bought this during CVS's secret clearance sale and love it! It's a gorgeous gold linear holographic.  Then I used it and Color Club's Glitter Wonderland for the water marble.  The Milani worked wonderfully for the water marble; the Color Club, not so much.  It acted really weird...when I would drag my toothpick through the bull's eye, the Color Club would spread out or break apart.  I've had polishes not spread, or dry too quickly, but I've never had one do this.  The only thing I can figure out is that it is the perfume in this collection that makes it water marble unfriendly.  But as long as you aren't looking for a complicated design, they will work.

The Milani worked like a dream.  And since I was able to snag the entire 3D Holographic line, I see a Spring water marble in my future.

I do like how it turned out despite the Glitter Wonderland.  Hope y'all like it too!  Happy Polishing!!

Ballet French Tips

Hi Everyone!!  Have you all recovered from the Christmas rush?  I think we have.  We had a fabulous Christmas!  I got a lap top from my hubby (my very first ever laptop!), and a Sally's gift certificate, another Sally's card from my sis/friend and nail polish from the bestie!!  Pretty good haul!!  What about you?  Tell me in the comments what you got!

Now as I may have mentioned a time or two (lol), I have an almost teenage daughter.  And like all teens, she's rebelling against her loud, gaudy, glitter-obsessed mom by loving quiet, soft things!  But she surprised the heck out of me by asking me to do her nails for Christmas!  But of course it was with her polish (at least she likes polish...don't know if I could take it if she didn't!).  About a month ago, her ballet studio had a contest and she won by naming a ballerina popular in the 1910's! Her prize was the O.P.I. NYC Ballet collection! (I would swatch it for you, but I'm not allowed to touch it!) And she wanted a design using these, so I chose a soft and delicate French tip for her:

I Used:
O.P.I.- Care To Danse (sheer lilac crème)
O.P.I.- Piroutte My Whistle (white hexagon and micro silver glitter in a clear base)

I started with three coats of O.P.I. Care To Danse.  And using the brush that came with the polish, I painted the French tips (see my tutorial on painting French tips here).  I think this turned out so pretty and demure, just like my ballerina!  Happy Polishing!!

 



Color Block Manicure

Hi Everyone!!  I have something a little different for you today.  Although it would make a great mani for New Year's Eve depending on what colors you choose, or even use these colors.  Some time ago I saw a manicure using copper, black and blue together and I've been dying to use this combination.  So I decided to do a color block.  This is such a cool mani because truthfully, it's like 10 different designs.  You could use all 10 or pick one and do all 10 fingers in one design.  Here is the finished product:

LOL!  Ok, it's upside down for some reason, but you get the idea!

I Used:
Zoya- Penny (shimmery copper)
essie- Mesmerize (blue creme)
China Glaze- Liquid Leather (black creme)
Scotch Tape

I started with two coats of Zoya Penny.  I love this polish!  But I didn't think it would every dry. I ended up topping it with one coat of my quick dry top coat. 

The next color used was essie Mesmerize.  I randomly placed scotch tape on my nails (remember to put the tape on your hand first to remove some of the stickiness) and painted one thick coat and immediately removed the tape.  Once the blue was dried, I repeated that step with the black polish.

This is a fun mani because there is no right way to do it, so have fun!  Just remember to keep it random! And as always, Happy Polishing!!

Really? Again with the upside down photo?

Silver & Gold Water Marble

Hi Every one!!  I hope y'all have had a great Christmas!!  I have this post scheduled for Dec. 26th, so I can take a little time off to spend with my family.  I will be back with more posts for New Year's Eve by the 27th though!! 

So with my daughter in "The Nutcracker", and six shows scheduled over three days, I knew I wouldn't have a chance to do my nails.  I wanted something special but what to do?  I thought about doing nutcrackers, or my daughter's roles (party boy and Chinese), or maybe even sugar plums.  And then I went in a totally different direction!  I love my "Nutcracker" manicure and I think it would be perfect for New Year's Eve: a silver, gold and black water marble!

I Used:
China Glaze- Liquid Leather (black creme)
Wet-n-Wild- The Gold & the Beautiful (very shimmery gold)
Sinful Colors- Heavy Metal (very shimmery silver)
Pure Ice- Jaguar (very pale shimmery gold)

Click here for the step-by-step tutorial with pictures on how to water marble.

I started with two coats of Pure Ice Jaguar since the silver polish was so bright (see my review of Heavy Metal).  The water marble was done the exact same way as the link above.  The only differences were: 1. the order I dropped the polish.  Since silver and gold can sometimes be hard to see when they are side by side, I dropped the black polish in between them so they would stand out. And 2.  the design.  I drew a zig zag design in the bull's eye.

I love, love, love how this came out.  It may not bring Nutcrackers or sugar plum fairies to mind, but it does bring glamour and New Year's Eve to mind.  I definitely am going to enjoy it.  What do y'all think?  Happy Polishing!!

Santa Claus- 12 Days of Christmas Challenge

Merry Christmas Everybody!!!!  I hope Santa was good to everyone and left lots of polish in your stockings!  And I hope your houses are filled with love, laughs and the smell of a delicious Christmas dinner cooking!! 

The last challenge of the 12 Days of Christmas is Santa Claus!!  Since I knew I wouldn't have time to change my nails between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (company staying and I have to cook dinner for 12) I have decided to use the manicure I did for the Nail Polish Canada contest, which I lost.  They may not have liked them, but I do.  Here is Santa's Sleigh with all the gifts tumbling out and heading to the chimneys of all the boys and girls.

To see the list of the materials I used, click here.  And be sure to check out every one's designs!  I hope y'all have a wonderful and blessed day!  Merry Christmas and Happy Polishing!!

Tinsel- 12 Days of Christmas Challenge

Merry Christmas Eve Everyone!!  I hope y'all have finished all your shopping, baking and wrapping and can relax and enjoy your family and paint your nails.

Today is the 11th day of the Christmas challenge and out of all of them, this was absolutely the hardest for me!!  I mean, tinsel?  I didn't have a clue.  I did like four designs, but kept coming back to my first one.  This one is my favorite.  And I think it would be fabulous for New Year's Eve too!

I Used:
Icing- Twilight
Loose silver holographic bar glitter

I started with two coats of Icing Twilight.  This is a gorgeous polish!  It's a black jelly with silver micro glitter.  The silver glitter really shows up in the picture above.  I used three coats to make it completely opaque, but two would have been fine.

When that had dried, I applied a thin layer of top coat and sprinkled the loose bar glitter over it.  The glitter was a fabulous find at Dollar Tree.  If you have one near you, go and check it out.  They have started carrying a lot of nail art supplies and everything in the store is $1.00.  On to the manicure, tap down the glitter so you don't have any sharp edges and finish with a top coat.

I don't know if it looks like tinsel, but it's glittering and sparkling all over the place so I'm happy!  And it's perfect for New Year's Eve!  I can not wait to see what everyone else came up with!  Be sure to visit their sites!!  Merry Christmas and Happy Polishing!!

Elves- 12 Days of Christmas Challenge

Oh my goodness!  It's day 10 of my my very first challenge, only two days left.  That makes me sad :(  I've loved doing this challenge and love all the fabulous women I've met!  And I'm so thankful to have been a part if it.  I can't wait for the next challenge.

Now on to today's prompt: elves!  This was hard!  All I could think of were all the wonderful "elf" movie manicures everyone did.  I loved those!  Then I started thinking about all the cute Santa hats I've seen and thought, elf hats.

I Used:
Orly- White Tips
China Glaze- Liquid Leather
China Glaze- Adventure Red-y
LA Colors- Palm Tree
Pure Ice- Jaguar
Brushes
Dotting Tool

I started  with two coats of Orly White Tips (I'm out of my normal white polish and my family has banned me from buying any more polish until after Christmas!).  Then everything but the red was drawn freehand.  The red was made using my largest dotting tool.

These turned out cuter than I thought they would.  Now I'm off to shake my presents...um, I mean bake.  Yeah.  That's it.  Bake.  Be sure to check out every one's designs!  Happy Polishing!!

Wreaths (& Tutorial)- 12 Days of Christmas Challenge

Hi Everyone! So after my deliciously tacky Christmas tree ornaments, I went much more sedate with my wreaths!  I had two ideas for this manicure and ended up using both:

I Used:
Orly- Torrid (shimmery red)
Wet-n-Wild- SaGreena the Teenage Witch (medium green shimmer)
Wet-n-Wild- Sage in the City (green shimmer)
Color Club- Ho-Ho-Holly (green with gold shimmer)
Pure Ice- Silver Mercedes (silver metallic)
Dotting Tool (toothpick works perfectly well)
Liner Brush (again, toothpick works great)

NOTE:  I know I've listed three green polishes, but you really only need one.  The three was just to give depth to the wreath.

To start this manicure, I painted two coats of Orly Torrid.  When that dried, I placed four dots of green polish (with a dotter or toothpick) on my nails to guide me in making a circle:

Then just fill in your wreath:

For my accent nail, my middle finger, I made a "close-up" of the wreath.  To make this, start by placing dots in a semi-circle.  This will be the center of the wreath and will be covered up.  Then just draw lines outward from the center, using the three green polishes,

The bows were all made with Pure Ice Silver Mercedes and a liner brush (again, a toothpick works perfectly too).  Just draw two loops and two tails!   Then just dot on some ornaments on the whole wreaths. If the bow makes you nervous, just skip it and add more ornaments.

I promise this is an easy manicure, very Christmas-y and sure to get plenty of attention!  I hope y'all enjoy my design and all the other designs by these incredible bloggers!  Happy Polishing!!

Ornaments- 12 Days of Christmas Challenge

Hi Everyone!!  It's time for the next challenge:  Ornaments!  When I first started thinking of this challenge, I had a ton of ideas.  Should I make each nail an ornament?  Make each nail the same? Or should I do a couple of ornaments per nail?  Copy my Christmas tree?  I sketched out a picture of my nails then went to start painting them...then it happened.  My tacky gene kicked in!!  Yes y'all.  I have a tacky gene.  I inherited it from my precious grandmother, Rosalind, and most of the time, I am actually quite proud of it.  To be perfectly honest, if my family would let me, I would rhinestone and glitter everything in the house that would hold still long enough!  Really!  Floor to ceiling sparkles!!  So my original idea of black glitter nails with a few silver ornaments turned into this:

There is one feature I do love though, the star and cross on my middle finger.  The star is for the loved one my family lost this year, and the cross is for the 26 who were suddenly called home Friday, 12/14.

As for the rest, I used a ton of polish!  Literally, too many polishes to list.  I used three green polishes just to make the background tree.

I don't hate this manicure, but it's not one of my favorites.  But I greatly love and miss my grandmother and I'm thankful for everything she gave me...including her tacky gene!!!  Be sure to check out every one else's designs!!  Happy Polishing!!

Snowflakes- 12 Days of Christmas Challenge

Hi Everyone!!  Today is the 7th day of the 12 Days of Christmas Challenge.  Today's prompt was snowflakes.  I really love how this manicure turned out.  Here's the finished product:

I Used:
Orly- Halley's Comet (shimmery blue)
Orly- White Tops (white creme)
Liner Brush
Dotting Tool
Rhinestones

I started with two coats of Orly Halley's Comet.  I absolutely love, love this color!  To me it screams winter (unless it's Spring, then it screams Spring, unless it's Summer, then it screams...well you get the idea).  Halley's Comet is beautiful on its own, but made a perfect base for this challenge.

Then using a liner brush (be sure to look up brushes on my tip page) and Orly White Tops, I painted random snowflakes on my nails.  To make the snowflakes, I just painted intersecting lines.  Using a medium dotting tool, I added a few dots to some of the snowflakes and made random dots to represent snow.  Then I painted a pretty thick coat of my Pro-FX top coat and placed rhinestones in the middle of some of the snowflakes.

I hope y'all enjoy this manicure and be sure to check out all the fabulous designs by the other bloggers!!  This is the sweetest bunch of people and I know you will love their designs.  Happy Polishing!!