Funfetti Nails

I must admit, glitter polishes are one of my least favorite things out there. Mostly because they are such a pain to get off! But manicures like this make the removal totally worthwhile. I started off with OPI Fit For A Queensland. I then attempted at my first "gradient" manicure! Using a makeup sponge I dabbed on some OPI Spark-icious to about half the nail, and over that (more to the tip) I used Ulta Pinata-Yada-Yada.

I'm beyond loving the results and perhaps found my New Years manicure!

Stripey Stripes

Hello all! I feel like it's been forever since I did a blog post, but unfortunately, life got in the way and I had no time to even take a simple picture! Now that my two summer classes are over, and I'm no longer working 50 hour weeks, I finally have a chance to breathe! Well enough of that..lets get back to posting!
Recently I cut all my nails down to nothing for no particular reason. I never have long nails but I never have tiny stubs either. When I was painting my nails I thought "If I do vertical stripes my nails will totally look longer". And sure enough, they do! I used Do You Lilac It? by OPI, and a white nail art pen in white by Claire's.

Neutral Subtle Shimmer

This manicure started with two coats of Essie BBF Boy Best Friend. The design is off Konad Image Plate M60, and I used OPI Rally Pretty Pink for the pink/gold duo tone gorgeous plaid. I'm going on a mini-vacation this weekend and wants something neutral that would go with everything I packed, but I didn't want it to be boring either. Love the results!
  

NOTD 7-13-11

This is a mani that started as a picture in my mind, but as I was creating it, it strayed far from the picture. In my mind I wanted to create strawberry red nails and put tiny yellow dots (seeds) on them. I started out with Zoya Haley (which is one of my favorite reds, not only because of the name hehe), and over that I put two coats of OPI Rosy Future. When it was dry I liked it so much that I didn't want to cover my nail with dots, so I only did a few on the accent finger with OPI Fiercely Fiona. I love how fun this color and design combination is! 

I make my dots simply with a ball point pen. You can buy a dotting tool, but cleaning off a ball point pen works just as well for me :)

Polka Dot Power!

This was the first time I tried doing any dots on my nails. I really like the results! To me it looks a little like reptile scales because of the diamond shape. The base color is Essie's "Sand Tropez" and the dots are "Miami Beet" by OPI.

Are you Absolutely Shore plaid is in?

Well regardless, plaid looks great on your nails to add some subtle interest to your everyday manicure!

I used Essie's "Absolutely Shore" as a base and with the Konad image plate M60 I added some plaid with OPI's "Who the Shrek are You?". For my ring finger I put Silver Shatter over "Who the Shrek are You?". I was going for a summer fun mani, and I definitely found it!

Zoya's Paz

Orange nails + tan skin = summer must have! If you want to bring out your tan then paint your nails orange! And Zoya's Paz is the perfect polish for this. It's a neon orange with super smooth application and dries with a finish that's between matte and shiny.

Zoya's Paz- no topcoat

Zoya's Paz - with Seche Vite

My pictures make Paz look like a creamier muted orange. In reality it is as neon as orange gets. The index finger in my picture with the top coat is a better representation. The solid orange was just a little too boring for me, so I added some designs!

I painted gold tips on my nails with OPI's Gift of Gold, and for the argyle on my ring finger I used Konad image plate M60 and OPI's Thanks So Muchness!
Have you tried painting your nails orange to bring out your tan? How did you like it?

Independence Day Mani!!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

I know I showed you all my Fourth of July manicure yesterday, but then I went to work (and considering I work at a kennel) and all my nails chipped! But that's okay cause it gave me an excuse to do another design!

I started out with Sally Hansen's "Baby Blue Crystal" Chrome Nail Makeup. I recently re-discovered this polish, and although its very pretty, its very hard to apply and avoid streaks. This was three coats.

On the tips of my nails I used Zoya's "Robyn" and OPI's "Vodka and Caviar". The large glitter chunks are from a polish I got ages ago at like Old Navy or CVS for a few bucks but it added the perfect sparkle for the holiday! 

My dogs were also feeling the Americana spirit today with their manicures and pedicures!

 

Iason had a cute pattern of red white and blue. His back paws carried on the pattern. Surprisingly he sat through the whole thing! Normally he jumps up and tries to run away after every nail.

 
Nibby has one paw white and the other blue with one toe on each being the accent red nail! His back paws were the alternating color.
Please note that I have been painting my dogs nails a few times a year since they were tiny puppies. Not only that but my dogs are very calm and will put up with me being all sorts of annoying to them. Painting dogs' toenails is not natural to them and if you believe your dog may not like it then by all means don't try.

Fourth of July Inspired Mani

Happy Independence Day to those who celebrate :) I created this fun, but not screaming "Americana" manicure to show off my spirit!

 I started out with Zoya's "Robyn" for the blue, and OPI's "Vodka and Caviar" for the red. Over that I used the plaid image on the Konad M60 plate with Sally Hansen's "Baby Blue Crystal". This was one of their Chrome nail polishes from forever ago.

What are you guys sporting for the 4th?

Funkey Dunkey and Crackle

Today I tried out OPI's Funkey Dunkey. It was a little hard to apply, but that could also be because I chose not to use a Ridge Filler knowing that I would be using the Silver Crackle and all mistakes could be hidden. The color is a dark purple creme. It is nothing spectacular but I don't have a color like it so for me it was worth it.

To make my nails a little less dark and a little more summery I added a coat of Silver Shatter. I really like how it shattered this time leaving large bits of purple showing.

Yellow Paisley

Today I got two new OPI polishes from the Shrek Collection. Ulta is having a "buy 2 for 10$" deal and I so took advantage! I picked up two that I have wanted since last summer, Funkey Dunkey and Fiercely Fiona. I went summery and chose to use Fiercely Fiona today. Over that I used a paisley-type design from image plate M60 with a mini OPI which for the life of me I cannot find the name of. I got it as a freebie when I purchased a full size nail polish last winter. It came with a dark metallic red/purple, and also a deep metallic red. If anyone knows the mini set please let me know! The one I used is an orange/brown with slight shimmer. I hate the color when used alone, but here I love it!

Subtle Shimmer

This weekend I got a surpsise package from my boyfriend with OPI's "Coney Island Cotton Candy" (a nail polish I have wanted for a very long time)! I immediately painted my nails with it, and for some pizzazz I added a purple/gold shimmer using the argyle design with plate M60. I loved the way it came out, but unfortunately forgot to take pictures :( So today when I went to paint my nails I wanted to see how the manicure worked with a different color! Red! I haven't painted my nails in red probably since Valentines day because I've been having so much fun with fun spring and summer colors! I used OPI's "Vodka & Caviar" as the main color with "A True Ab-Original" for the shimmer. What do you think of my red manicure with subtle shimmer?

Purple and Green!

Sometimes I just can't ignore the bright funky colors in my collection. I used OPI's "Do You Lilac It?", and "Who The Shrek Are You?" for the base colors. For the dots I used China Glaze's "For Audrey" and image plate M60. I love that all colors are creme, so even though its bright and out there, its still wearable.

I Vant to be A-Lone Star!

I picked up this color by a fluke, and I am so happy I did! I had two OPI's and an Essie in my hand when Ulta told me I couldn't combine the brands for the buy 2 get 1 free discount. So I went back and grabbed a similar light sky blue as the one by Essie. Boy am I glad I did! I Vant to be A-Lone Star is part of the Texas Collection. It is a sky blue with a little blue/silver shimmer. I love the way it makes my nails look longer than they are!

But I couldn't stop there! I mean come on, I just got a Konad Stamping System! So thats where OPI's Ski Teal We Drop came in. This was a part of last years Swiss collection, and it was the only one I wanted, and the only one I got. Its a lovely creme dark teal, almost navy.

The end result looks a little like snowflakes, but I like it! And with that in mind, you can be assured I'll be getting a snowflake design and do this exact mani in the winter :)