Re-create #3: Birthday Manicure

Well, it isn't my birthday so I kept this re-creation simple (in design).  Anyone who can do water marbling easily is my hero.  I struggle and struggle and struggle with it.  It is so pretty that I just don't want to give up on it, but I will admit that I am far from perfection!

• Pure Ice No Means No
• Color Club Blue-Ming
• Sinful Colors Bikini

I don't know what is up with that photo, but you get the idea...  For this re-creation, I stuck with strictly water marbling, nothing fancy.  This is hard enough and there just wasn't time to do more.  See the original post here.

I started with one coat of Bikini as a base color before I did the marbling technique.  I love the 4 dashed lines on my ring finger.  I have no idea where they came from, but they were cool.  LOL!

After I cleaned up my mess, I added a layer of Seche Vite on top to seal it in and make it shiny.

Take a look at them side-by-side.  I tried to keep the color scheme but use different polishes (because I have so many that haven't been tried yet...).

Re-create #1: Fall Victorian Look?

This is a re-creation of the first mani I posted on my blog.  You can read that in it's entirety here.  As it was November when I did the original, I had to be creative to bring this look into the summertime.

• MDU Light Gold (stamping polish)
• Zoya Beatrix
• Zoya Godiva
• MDU Geranium (stamping polish)
• RA-104 (plate)

I went with a light brown for the main base color which has a slight gold tone to it.  As an accent nail I used the orange color.  I didn't intentionally go for texture polishes, but it worked out nicely!

Each base color was applied with 2 coats over my usual base coat.  I used Mundo de Unas stamping polishes which were perfectly complimentary to the base colors.  The stamping image came out fairly well and better than the first time around.  I really struggle using my Red Angel plates - the images aren't etched very deep to get a great image every time.  I used the same image on all of my nails and tried to get the it pretty close to identical on each.  

Once the stamping polishes were completely dry, I did go over it with a layer of Seche Vite as I thought it made the stamping image really pop and helped to smooth out the polish a bit to prevent chipping.

Compared side-by-side, they look the same but different.  I guess that is what I wanted...?  At least you can really see the stamping this time around.  Gotta love these MDU's!

Be sure to look at the other lovely re-creations!

Re-create #2: First Husband's Choice

I'm posting out of order!  I'm such a rebel!  I wanted to make something summery out of this original fall manicure, so I chose bright colors, but I used the same stamps.  You can see the original post here.

• Sally Hansen Polar Bare
• Sally Hansen Parrot
• butter LONDON Cheeky Chops
• Stamping supplies:
• MDU Pastel Yellow
• MDU Chocolate
• MDU Lemon Tree
• MDU White
• BM324 - Bamboo (tips)
• RA118 - Reeds (grass)

I started with 2 coats of Polar Bare after my base coat.  This polish is fairly sheer but still a good light undie color to bring out the "pop" of brightness.  I then put 2 coats of either Cheeky Chops or Parrot on my nails.  Once those were mostly dry, I added a layer of Seche Vite.

I am so, so, so glad that I purchased these Mundo de Unas stamping polishes!  They are a dream to use.  The stamps were more of a challenge though.  For anyone curious, stamping may look easy but it sure isn't!  For this one I used the yellow and brown to stamp the reeds (or grass, if you like (RA118)).  I layered them, so the same stamp is used multiple times in both colors and also it is reversed for one round.  This took a lot of time and patience (which I was running out of by the end of this manicure!) to get it to where I could accept it.  I did the tips a bit differently this manicure too.  I also layered the stamp (BM324) in the white and green and put it on a bias.  It is just too damn hard to line up a french tip!  So, I went on an angle and I have to say, I really love it!  The stamp reminds me of bamboo shoots. Together, everything looks very summer and I got a lot of compliments on them at work.

Here they are side by side.  I'm glad that my stamping has improved over the last 1 1/2 years!  I hope this is an acceptable re-creation.  :)

Catching Up: Hawaiian Strawberry Shake

I'm pretty sure I did this mani for some "pink" challenge but I can't remember.  I really need to write these up as I do them because I just don't retain the reasoning behind them.  LOL!

• Milani Strawberry Shake
• Ulta Fuchsiamania
• Milani White on the Spot (stamping)
• MoYou London Pro Collection - 03

I started with a base coat and then 1 coat of Strawberry Shake.  I then did a sponge gradient on 3 fingers with both pink polishes.  The other 2 nails are 2 coats of the base color.  I always put a layer of Seche Vite on my nails before I stamp to help dry the base colors so they don't smudge with the stamper pressure.

I used the Fuchsiamania on the non-gradient nails.  It stamped beautifully!  It doesn't hurt that MoYou London plates are simply fabulous!  They are so nicely etched that they work great with just about any polish!  The gradient nails are stamped with White on the Spot.

This pattern looks like Hawaiian hibiscus to me so it was a wonderful reminder to me of my visit to Hawaii a few years ago.  Stamping has to be my favorite type of nail art!  One last coat of Seche Vite and it was all done.

Catching Up: Heavenly Husband's Choice

It's time for another mani that I didn't blog about in a timely manner.  This one was a Husband's Choice mani for me.  Sometimes, when I don't want to decide, I have the hubby do it.  This one was super simple and really pretty!

• Color Club Blue Heaven
• American Apparel Hassid (stamp color)
• Pueen 61

This is the color my husband chose for the base color.  I wanted to do a simple contrast on top of it, so it had to be a stamp!  I used 2 coats of this polish on all of the nails followed by randomly placing the stamp on each nail.  I didn't want them to be completely uniform and it was easy to do this with these buffet stamps!

The only bummer is that I didn't get an outdoor photo and boy did these sparkle.  I think I caught myself staring at them on multiple occasions when the sun hit them!  LOL

Once the stamp was completely dry, I finished with a coat of Seche Vite.

Catching Up: Skittles

I'm going to be honest here and tell you up front that I remember very little about doing this manicure...sad, but true.  I think I did this mani for the skittles theme in May for the Nail Challenge Collaberative group but never got to getting it written.

• China Glaze Tree Hugger
• Ulta Celebutante
• China Glaze Mimosa's Before Mani's
• Pueen31
• Pueen49

I have a challenge with skittles - mostly because I am not very creative! I also struggle with water marbeling.  I keep trying though!

This was a fun one once it was all said and done!  I wore it for quite some time.

Short and sweet post this time around.  Thanks for viewing!