2013 Favorite Color Challenge #1

November is "Favorite Color" themed in The Nail Challenge Collaborative group.  This is really hard to do!  As you know, I am a lover of all polish so to choose 1 is really hard.  I suppose that is the definition of a "challenge" anyway.  I went with purple as I have a lot of purple polishes and they need some love and affection.  I found some inspiration on Pinterest for this look (here) and let me say that it was a technical challenge for me.

In case you are wondering how I swatch my polishes: I use swatch sticks.  I love that I can easily compare polishes and put them together.  Here was my take on the 4-square color block idea:

Polishes used in this manicure:

• Milani White as an undie polish
• Sephora by OPI Sin-cerely Violet
• Sephora by OPI Who's Spinning Tonight?
• Sinful Colors Tempest
• China Glaze Rendezvous With You
• Seche Vite (lots of it)

I put 1 coat of Milani White on my nails followed by 2 coats of Sephora by OPI Sin-cerely Violet, topped with one coat of Seche Vite.  Once dry, I taped off one panel at a time and painted 2 coats of polish then a layer of Seche Vite.  

This was a time consuming manicure and I had some learnings along the way.  No matter how careful I am, I get bleeding under the tape.  I learned to not be afraid to clean it up once the tape has been removed with a little bit of acetone.  Since the Seche Vite layer is there, it comes up pretty easily.

After a LOT of tape, I think it came out pretty darn good for my first attempt.  I hope you like it!

October Tri-Polish Challenge #2

This is my final entry in the October Tri-Polish Challenge as I just didn't have time to complete this one.  That along with the fact that I like this mani so much that I am not taking it off before November.

• China Glaze Glitter Goblin
• Sinful Colors Black On Black
• OPI Call My Cell-ery
• OPI Goin' Ape-ricot!

I started with a 1 coat of Sinful Colors Black On Black on all of my nails except the ring finger.  On that one, I actually left what was there alone (glitter is HARD to remove!) - 3 coats of China Glaze Glitter Goblin.  I even have a coat of Elmer's Glue under there and that stuff is not budging.  Not even a little chip and I have worn it for almost a week now.

I put one coat of Seche Vite on top of the black.  Once that was dry, I started with the taping.  I used 3 strips of striping tape on each nail.  That is tedious work!  I have such difficulty getting the tape exactly where I want it every time.  It is worth it in the end though!

I used 3 coats of each OPI polish over the tape.  I then slowly removed each piece of tape to reveal the black undercoat.  I sealed it all up with another coat of Seche Vite.  I love how it turned out.  It is really amazing what a different base color can do to these types of polishes!

This is perfect for Halloween!

October Tri-Polish Challenge #1

It is time to get back to Crumpet's Nail Tarts Tri-Polish Challenge.  This one is hard for me.  I struggled with what polishes to use.  I went with some sheers because I really wanted to try the Jelly Stampwich introduced to me by A Girl And Her Polish.

Here is what I chose:

• Yellow: Ulta Not From Concentrate
• Green: OPI Call My Cell-ery
• Orange: OPI Goin' Ape-ricot!
• Glitter Accent: China Glaze Glitter Goblin

This needed a lot of coats to build up the color as the polishes are all very sheer.  I used 3 coats of green on my pinkie and 2 coats for the orange and yellow polishes.  The glitter is 3 coats and a layer of Seche Vite.  Once all of the nails were dry with a layer of Seche Vite, I went to a stampin'. I used American Apparel Hassid with BM-305 and BM-314 for this devilish theme.  I tried inverting an image in this mani as well!  The devil tails on my pinkie are from one image but one is reversed.  It was really easy to do but you have to be fast!

Once The stamp was applied, I went over it with one coat of the same polish for the "stampwich".  I was disappointed that my black smeared!  But, I finished them all off with another coat of Seche Vite and went on with my day.  I am in love with that glitter accent nail!  The shimmer on it is amazing in the daylight and it is perfect for fall!

Be sure to see the other beautiful mani's in this challenge:

Halloween Nails - Mummies

Today I have an awesome manicure, if I do say so myself.  LOL!  I am so proud of myself for doing this!  I have mentioned numerous time that I am not the most creative person, but this idea came to me while looking at a lot of photos of Mummy Manicures.  Really, my husband challenged me on this one.  I had shown him another mummy manicure I had seen on Pinterest and he said I could come up with something better than that...he didn't like the color scheme of what I had shown him and reminded me to be "factual" on what they look like.  Insert reference to Mumm-Ra from ThunderCats here.  Sometimes, he is just a dork - but I love him.

Let's get to it...

The polish rundown:

• Sinful Colors Black on Black  - 1 coat as a base color
• Sinful Colors Secret Admirer - 1 coat over black for a black shimmer effect
• Sephora by OPI White Blasted - 1 coat for mummy wrappings
• Pure Ice Superstar! - white for eyes
• Wet 'n Wild Red Red - red for eyes
• Seche Vite - top coat

I need to get better at taking photos during the creation phase.  I usually become so consumed with getting it to look right, that I forget.

I started with Sinful Colors Black on Black for a base color (1 coat).  I then put 1 coat of Sinful Colors Secret Admirer on top.  Then a coat of Seche Vite to seal it up.  Once that was VERY dry, I started the taping.  I did each nail individually to make sure I could pay enough attention to what I was doing.  I started with laying a strip of scotch tape down where the eye strip would be.  I then used striping tape to make a few wrap lines.  Once that was down, I used 1 coat of Sephora by OPI White Blasted, to make the "wrap".  I wanted that to look kind of weathered, which is why I chose a crackle polish.  While that was drying (crackle dries very fast!), I pulled the tape up.  The striping tape came up pretty easily.  Here is an interesting tid-bit: the crackle formula makes scotch tape extremely brittle!  It would not pull up easily, but I really liked the effect so I worked at it.

I added white dots for eyes.  Once those were dry, I added red dots on top.  When that was dry, I added the Seche Vite as a top coat.  I always have trouble with bleeding using colors for dots with the Seche Vite, so I made sure they were dry before adding the top coat.

I could not be more pleased with how these turned out!  I'll keep these on for a while to continue to admire them!

Take a look at the other Halloween nails in this challenge:

Breast Cancer Awareness 2013 - #2

It's Friday and I have another ode to Breast Cancer Awareness for you.  This cause is just so important.  I know several people who have been afflicted with Breast Cancer and most of them are survival stories.  Early detection is the key!

As I am working on using all of the polishes in my collection, I hit up the "pinks" for something appropriate for my mood.  I have been wanting to try the Milani Texture line for quite some time.  I got the first round of polishes for a steal well after they were introduced.  I really hope I can get the next set for such a good price because I am in love with these polishes!  I kept it really simple this time around and only used 1 main color!

  I used Milani Spoiled In Fuchsia as my main polish.  I love the application of this type of polish and the coverage!  I did 2 coats and no top coat.  The feeling of the texture is really cool and kind of hard to get used to!  I am so used to a nice smooth nail and these are scratchy.  I love the look though!

I used BM-H18 to stamp the middle finger with some flying hearts.  The photo doesn't do the stamp quality justice.  I used Milani Black Swift to stamp the image.  It is very clear and quite cute.  This color is simply amazing!

I can't wait to get some more of these!  I have seen swatches of the fall collection and it is stunning!

Take a look at the other lovely manicures saluting this cause:

Halloween Nails - Husband's Choice: Zombies

Zombies?  I guess they are "hot" right now.  My spouse was looking forward to The Walking Dead season premier and he was excited to see the Holiday Bundle Monster plates I received.  Since he was so motivated, I allowed him to direct me.  He wanted a story so, it starts as a normal situation with a plain nail then moves right into a biohazard and blood.  Next is death followed by coming back from the dead as a zombie.  Ok, it is a loose interpretation,but he likes it.

I used a LOT of polish for this and mostly unnecessarily.  Here is a look at what I used:

I chose green to do a gradient look for a putrid kind of color.  The greens I chose looked great on the swatches together, but when applied barely showed any color variation.  That was kind of disappointing, but I continued on.  Here is what I used:

• Pure Ice Superstar! - white undie polish
• Kleancolor Melon Green - base green color and used in the gradient
• Kleancolor Jazz Olive - used in green gradient
• China Glaze Cha Cha Cha - used in green gradient & as a french tip
• Orly Unlawful - red used on ring fingers and in stamp (BM-405)
• Orly Monster Mash - green glitter used on middle finger
• American Apparel Hunter - zombie hands (BM-H08) 
• Color Club Kismet - used under the green glitter as the blood drip stamp (BM-405)
• Pure Ice Silver Mercedes - RIP stamp on pointer finger (BM-H08)
• Milani Black Swift - RIP stamp on other pointer finger (BM-H08) & Biohazard stamp on ring fingers (BM-418)
• Milani White on the Spot - white skull stamp on ring fingers (Mash-29)

Now that that is over, here is what it looks like:

And, the other hand:

From far away it looks like Christmas...but then you get close up and it scares you.  LOL!  These were a hit at work and my husband is thrilled that he gets to participate a little.  You can bet that he will have input on the next Halloween look.  This is, after all, his favorite holiday.

Thanks for visiting!  Take a look at these other Halloween nail looks:

Halloween Nails - Orange Dotticure

I saw this on Pinterest and figured it was something I could recreate fairly easily.  I am in love with how it came out.  Sometimes I really do surprise myself!  This didn't even take me too long to do.  I am always in a rush on Sunday nights trying to get prepared for Monday mornings and it always goes by super fast.  I managed to squeeze this in though.

Here is what I used:

• Pure Ice Superstar! (undie & dots)
• Pure Ice Black Out (accent nail & dots)
• Orly Right Amount of Evil (accent glitter nails)
• Sinful Colors Unicorn (yellow dots)
• OPI Osaka-To-Me Orange (orange base)

This mani is so fun and is just right for October!  The dots on one side of the nail turned out so cute (in my opinion)!

As I used a white undie, I needed 3 coats of OPI to be completely opaque.  I am still trying to figure out my photography skills!  I have a light box but can't seem to get my big 'ol camera on a tripod in there.  I love my camera but it is a beast!  I am not fond of my iPhone for pictures either.  Oh well, you get the gist of what is happening here and it does capture true color pretty well.

Happy Halloween!!!  I just love how festive this is!

Take a look at the other Halloween mani's in the Nail Challenge Collaborative:

Breast Cancer Awareness 2013

It is October and there are many, many special causes associated with it.  While we can get swept up into the wonderful world of Halloween nail art, it is important to recognize a different kind of monster.  Breast cancer has affected several people in my life.  Each story is different and, fortunately, each have a positive outcome.  Early detection is the most significant advancement in combating this illness.  With that being said, here is my pink mani in tribute to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Here is what I used for this manicure:

From light to dark:

1. Sinful Colors Easy Going
2. American Apparel Coney Island
3. Pretty & Polished You Are Beautiful
4. Orly It's Not Me, It's You
5. OPI Strawberry Margarita

I kept it super simple because it is the cause which needs to do the speaking, not really my nail art.  I love the ombre look!

Early detection is so important with this aggressive illness.  Be sure to check the ta-ta's thoroughly every month!

Please see the other lovely manicures by women who support this cause with their hearts.

Candy Apples

It is time for some Halloween themed nail art and to participate in some challenges.  I love fall!  I'm starting off with a loose interpretation of candied apples.  It was my inspiration and the red I used really does fit the category!

I want to dedicate this mani to the best friend I have met since moving to Buffalo (besides my husband) - Jennifer.  Tomorrow is her birthday and she never does anything special for herself.  Here is my little gift to her on her day.  :)  Her 10 year wedding anniversary is a little over a week away and she served candied apples as a party favor!  It's too bad I didn't know her then to share her special day with her.  Maybe this will bring back even more special memories for her.

Here is what I used for this look: Kleancolor Angel Red and China Glaze Angel Wings.

I used 2 coats of the Kleancolor Angel Red as my base.  I then sponged the China Glaze Angel Wings at either end of the nail.

I didn't like how my pinkie turned out so I went ahead and used the glitter on the entire nail.

I then used 2 coats of Seche Vite to give it a nice smooth finish.

For my first official "fall" manicure, I love the warmth!

I am submitting this into 2 themed collaborations.  Take a look at the hard work everyone has done!

This is for Crumpet's Halloween Challenge: Trick or Treats

This is for The Nail Challenge Collaborative Halloween Challenge

Technique: Re-enforcement French Tips

It is so good to be back to blogging!  I can't begin to tell you how much I have missed it.  After 2 back surgeries, I am finally starting to feel better.  Being able to sit up and do my nails has been a challenge for almost 4 months!  So, I am hopeful to be back to blogging regularly again soon.  Thanks for sticking with me!

This month, The Nail Challenge Collaborative is working on technique.  I feel so out of practice these days that I wanted to try something new to me.  I decided to give french tips via re-enforcements a try.  I bought some from Target while picking up some prescriptions a few weeks ago.  They are very inexpensive and with over 500 in a package, they should last quite a while.  I used Revlon Sweet Tart as my base color and Sinful Colors Aquamarine for the tips.

I had the pink base on for several days which is why you will see some tip wear in the next photos.  It is baby steps getting back into this wonderful hobby!

The process is very simple and I am glad I wore the base for a while before adding the tips because some of the steps I did damaged the base polish.  Here is a glimpse of what to do:

I added the stickers fairly lightly but wanted to prevent bleeding.  I used 2 coats of the blue for the tips as one just wasn't opaque enough.  Between coats, I had used acetone to clean up as blue can be staining and I wanted to get it off as quickly as possible.  When I was ready to remove the stickers, I quickly learned that this was a mistake!!!  The acetone absorbed into the paper of the sticker and caused my base coat to become sticky which pulled up with the sticker removal.  It also carried the blue along with it so there are hints of blue where there shouldn't be.  So, this isn't a perfect application but it certainly was a learning lesson.  The color combo is awesome for the last bit of summer and I was pleased with the outcome even so.  Once all of the stickers were removed, I cleaned up as best as I could.  That blue is STUBBORN!  I used a coat of Seche Vite to top it off and I've been wearing it for over a week now.  It was a great beginning to my "come-back".

Thanks so much for viewing.  I am so excited to continue my polish loving journey.