Reciprocal Zebra Stripes

Hey Y'all!!  TGIF!!  Anyone have big plans this weekend?  For many around here, this is the last weekend before school starts...can you believe it?  What happened to Summer??  The hubby is supposed to take me out to a nice dinner tonight.  He's trying to make up for stepping on but not seeing the green hoppy thing yesterday.  Yep, a nice dinner out ain't going to get it.  He needs to do more!  I'm thinking something polish/make up related!

Anyway, I have what I'm calling Reciprocal Zebra Stripes for you today:

I Used:
China Glaze- Fancy Pants (blurple with pink and purple shimmer)
OPI- Pompeii Purple (fuchsia with pink shimmer)
Scotch Tape
Medium Liner Brush

I really love my mixed up zebra stripes, and really love these two colors together!  It didn't come out exactly as I saw it in my mind, but it's close. 

So to create this mani, start with two coats of the lighter color; in this case, OPI Pompeii Purple.  Pompeii Purple is a beautiful fuchsia polish with a purple shimmer. Once that has dried completely, use scotch tape to tape a diagonal line on your nails.  Be sure to place and remove the tape a few times first to remove some of the stickiness.

Then paint your second,darker color.  I used China Glaze Fancy Pants (love this color).  It did take two coats.  If you need two coats, you can wait a few minutes in between coats, but don't let the polish dry completely.  Immediately after the second coat (or your first and only), remove the scotch tape.  If you wait it will lift the new polish up.

When that has all dried, use a long, thin brush (I used a medium liner brush) to make the zebra stripes.  Zebra stripes are basically shaky triangles.  Make sure to use the opposite color, especially if your stripe covers both colors.  Then just use top coat to seal in your design!

I hope y'all have a fabulous day!  Happy Polishing!!

ABC Challenge: Z is for Zebra (& Neon Gradient)

Hi Everyone!!  I hope y'all have a fun Wednesday.  It's supposed to storm here today through Saturday morning.  Ugh!!  So the now-a-teen and I are going to lunch and a movie.  Now if we can just decide which one.  She wants Despicable Me 2 and I want to see The Lone Ranger.  Don't laugh!!  Don't judge me!  I love westerns!!  Really I do.  It has nothing to do with Johnny Depp being in the movie.  Or him being shirtless throughout it.  Stop laughing!!  It doesn't!!

Fine.  If you're going to be like that I will get on to today's mani.  Today is the last ABC Challenge.  We did it!!  26 weeks later and we are at Z!!!  So for me, Z stands for Zebra and Zoya!

I Used:
Sinful Colors- Snow Me White (white crème)
Orly- Glowstick (yellow neon crème)
China Glaze- I'm With The Lifeguard (green neon shimmer)
Nina Ultra Pro- Blue Blaze (blue neon crème)
Zoya- Storm (black with holographic micro glitter)
Medium Striping Brush
Make Up Sponge

I love how this turned out.  The inspiration for the neon gradient came from one of China Glaze's new ombre kits.  Which are fabulous deals, $12.99 for four full sized polishes.  But for this particular gradient, I had three of the four colors, so I just used my own polishes.  I started with one coat of Sinful Colors Snow Me White.  Then, painting stripes of colors on a make up sponge, I sponged on the neon gradient.  This took two coats.

For the zebra print...well this is probably the easiest animal to do.  All you have to do is paint triangle shaped stripes.  They don't have to be even or straight, in fact they shouldn't be!  So shaky hands, can't draw a straight line...no problem.  You can do this.  Just use a thin, medium bristle length brush.  The only sad thing is the holographic glitter in the black didn't really show up.  But I like it anyway. 

Be sure to check out what the other fabulous ladies have come up with for Z.  And don't forget, we have a new challenge starting up the beginning of August.  This one is 30 weeks long and has some incredible challenges in it.  Now I'm off to bribe, I mean DISCUSS which movie to go see with the now-a-teen.  Who do you think will win?  (Check my facebook page later to see).  Happy Polishing!!