Splash It! Art

So I have some catching up to do since my last post...in September. This manicure actually was the result of doing my nails in a hotel room in New York after a day of plane, train, subway, and bus travel. I needed my nails to look nice for my long weekend trip, but I was way too tired to do any design that required a steady hand. Thus this pain splatter look was born!

For the base I used Essie Cab-ana, then I used cling/saran wrap to dab on Essie Splash of Grenadine, L'Oréal New Money and Members Only. I added Sally Hansen Snow Globe for a nice iridescent glitter effect.

Pop Stars

I was in love with this girly, bright and cartoony manicure for the weekend.

So here's how it happened. I started with my favorite base coat, Butter London Nail Foundation (Thanks again mom. I can't believe it has lasted me a year.) and then painted two coats of Essie Bond With Whomever for the base.

Then I sponged on Bond With Whomever and L'Oréal Members Only using a super cheap makeup sponge triangle. Note: I put both colors on the sponge, side-by-side so that the colors will blend better. Look up Gradients on my tutorial page for pictures on that. 

After the colors on each nail was blended just the way I wanted, I immediately applied Nicole by OPI Here Kim's the Sun. Applying it while the gradient colors are still slightly wet helps the colors blend even more. After Seche Vite top coat, the gradient was done!

So this is what happened next: I wasn't really happy with my nails...they were just too plain for my mood. So I got out Ulta Sun-Sational and painted a few squares on a new Ziploc bag, making sure that the squares were opaque. I let them dry overnight, and, in the morning, I got my star hold punch (originally purchased for scrapbooking...that never happened), gently peeled off the dried yellow polish squares from of the plastic baggie, and put them through the hole punch as if they were paper. Out came these brightly colored, perfectly cut stars.

To attach the stars, I just did a dot of top coat on my nail, applied the star, and cut off any excess with small cuticle scissors. Another coat of Seche Vite and this little beauty was the result.

Bows + Everybody = BoBody

I was lacking inspiration/motivation for a manicure but remembered doing a swatch of this yellow a while back and loving it.

But how, you may ask, will I jazz this up a bit? Cage match style...sorry, more of The Office references.

Well of course I'm going to be inspired by the bow on my Ciaté Big Yellow Taxi polish bottle. ;) I added Essie Splash of Grenadine for a splash of contrast and Essence bow rhinestones.

Glitter-licious, It's Hot Hot

Matte Glitter? Yes please. I used my favorite black polish for the base, Essie Licorice. Then it was a combo of Milani Teal and Hot Pink glitter topped off with Essie Matte About You top coat to finish off this look.

Blue Barbie

This was my manicure from the past weekend. I felt very Barbie-esque for some reason. Maybe it was the pink glitter and the light teal-ish blue color. Whatever it was, I loved it!

I used Essie Cab-ana, Revlon Whimsical, and Cina rhinestons

Starry Eyed

For the middle and ring finger, I used Essie Bond With Whomever. For the index and pinky finger, I used L'Oréal Members Only. I added Sally Hansen Snow Globe, then I placed star glitter. 

Glitter and Grunge

After doing a manicure that included trying to draw letters...and failing horribly (I might post that up later), I did this glitter gradient and saran wrap manicure that is more my style.

I used L'Oréal Royalty Reinvented as the base, Sally Hansen Snow Globe for the glitter gradient, and Essie Licorice as the second color for the saran wrap effect.
 

A Girl Watches Monsters University and then Does Her Nails

I was encouraged by my cousin, Julia Mendoza,  to do my nails and start posting!

I guess I was subconsciously influenced by watching Monsters University because one of my followers pointed out that it kind of looked inspired by the movie.

I used L'Oréal New Money (pictured) for the gradient base and the swirls Essie Cab-ana for the second color in the gradient and base for the ring finger and Splash of Grenadine to finish off the gradient.

This is what happens when Mike and Sully are smushed together with a touch of Celia Mae on the ring finger.

Chevron Contrast

Someone how my only two chevron manicures look the same. Search "chevron" for an earlier attempt at this style.

I used SinfulColors Pink Forever, Sonia Kashuk Smoke and Mirrors, and Ulta Blue Streak for this version. 

I know the tips turned out super thick. Lesson learned: give polish at least a few minutes to dry before adding another layer. 

May's Purple Thursday Week 3 - Delayed Post

Note: I did try to upload this post on-time, and I believed that it had uploaded. I was very disappointed to see that it never did. Since then, I've tried repeatedly to upload this post, gotten an error message, and then became very frustrated with the whole complicated, problem-ridden procedure. Now I'm back and hopefully I won't encounter the same issue. 

I decided to do Galaxy nails with my poor rendition of the USS Enterprise...because I'm seeing Star Trek tonight. 

I used Barielle Hidden Hideaway, L'Oréal Royalty Reinvented, Essie Splash of Grenadine, Ciaté Magic Carpet, Orly Instant Artist Crisp White, and OPI Pirouette My Whistle. Plus a Essence polish I can't remember the name of (stat tuned). 

May's Purple Thursday Week 2

I know this post just barely made it, but I'm glad I took the time for this mix-and-match design.

I'll update this post with natural-light pictures tomorrow. 

For the base on every nail except my ring finger I used L'Oréal Royalty Reivented. Then I used Essie Bond With Whomever for the base on my ring finger... I added Sally Hansen Snow Globe to that. The heart was done with Ciaté Caberet, and I used Essie Splash of Grenadine for the swirled and criss crossed lines. 

May's Purple Thursday Week 1

So I had exactly 20 minutes to come up with a manicure idea, shape my nails, paint, and photograph them today. So this is what I came up with and execution was rushed, but I'll be improving every week.

I used Essie Splash of Grenadine and Ciaté Magic Carpet as the base and Essie Bond With Whomever,  L'Oréal Royalty Reinvented, and Barielle Grape Escape as the polka dots flower/star bursts.

L'Oréal Royalty Reinvented

Royalty Reinvented is a cream purple color that refuses to be color accurate in my photos. Note: It is not as blue or periwinkle in real life.

The formula was smooth and easy to apply. The wider brush on the L'Oréal polishes does make application quicker, however this is the second L'Oréal polish from this collection that has had one brush bristle sticking out longer than the others. That one bristle always gets me because it puts polish past the line of polish that I want and the line that the rest of the bristles extend to.

Essie Splash of Grenadine

Splash of Grenadine is a popular and much loved polish among the nail artists I follow, but I never got around to trying it for myself.

It is a beautiful dusty pink-purple polish and the formula was very smooth and easy to work with.

This is two coats with no top coat.

Autism Awareness Month 2013

As you know, April is Autism Awareness Month. I did this manicure a few days back but have been slacking when it comes to updating my blog. I'm working on improving that. :)

More importantly:
A dear friend of mine's son was recently diagnosed with mild autism, so this is for her and her family.

I used Essie Marshmallow as the base with L'Oréal Not a Cloud in Sight, SinfulColors Why Not, and Ulta Blue Streak for the gradient. I added Ciaté Glass Slipper for sparkle and Milani Silver for the glitter placement heart.

Like my most recent gradient post, I used a white polish as the base (Essie Marshmallow) so that the colors would pop without me having to put tons of layers of blue on.

Wondering how I did the glitter placement? I used Milani Silver because it has large glitter in a clear polish. I just dabbed the polish on a piece of kitchen foil (so it wouldn't dry too fast) and used a dotting tool to pick up individual glitter pieces to make the heart.

A Cotton Candy Fairy Tale rendered in Pastels

What is this? Pastel gradient? Cotton Candy gradient? Fairy-tale gradient? Can it be all three please?

I used Essie Marshmallow as the base and then SinfulColors Cinderella, Glass Pink, and Mint Apple for the gradient. I added OPI Pirouette My Whistle for an even softer/fairy-like look. 

I've gotten some questions on how I do gradients and, personally, it depends on what colors and formulas are involved. For example, since each polish (the blue, pink, and green) is really sheer, I used one coat of white (Essie Marshmallow) for a base so that the finish manicure would be solid (no visible nail line) and would not interfere with the actual gradient colors. 

I'm going to be trying to describe how I do each gradient from here on out.

L'Oréal Not a Cloud in Sight

Not a Cloud in Sight is a bright and sheer cream polish. I needed to paint three thin coats to cover any streaky areas. My bottle was very "fluid" which I guess is better than a thick polish, but when I painted just my nail, it would run onto my cuticles.

Oh well, this is three coats with no top coat.

L'Oréal Orange You Jealous

I recently went on a polish splurge and got nine new polishes plus a new Seche Vite top coat and, to try for the first time, CND Stickey base coat. Thank goodness I had a 30 percent of coupon from Ulta!

One of the polishes I have been wanting to try out is L'Oréal Orange You Jealous, as well as every other spring polish in the world.

This is three coats with no top coat. The color is a creamy orange and the formula is pretty smooth. It did take three coats to cover up any streaky spots, but I'm glad it didn't end up being thick.

New Poll for Nail Series

Hi my awesome followers,

By now I'm sure you've noticed the new poll feature on the right side of this page so here's a little info about it:

For the next few months, I will be able to support a regular weekly post (shocking I know because I've been so sporadic when it comes to doing and then posting them on here). I plan to run this segment from May to August.

Each month will have a different theme but I want to know what you, my lovely followers, are most interested in seeing so that you can get inspired. That's what the poll is for! Just vote for which theme you would like me to do for the upcoming month.

For example, this poll has the following options: Blue Monday, Purple Thursday, and Pink Friday. The first part lets you know the theme, and the second part tells you the day I will have it posted on my blog each week.

I kept it general for this first month, but my goal is to show at least a glimpse of all you can do even within those boundaries.

Please go ahead and vote for what you want to see by this Friday!

Papaya Nails

Clearly this is an older manicure because I have now gone back to square-shaped nails, but I knew I needed to try papayas out on my oval/almond nails before I changed it up again.

Papayas are my favorite fruit. However, my husband thinks they smell like feet and won't sit next to me on the rare occasion I eat some papaya. IMO, there is nothing like the refreshing, soft, cool, and sweet feeling of fresh papaya in my mouth.

So let's get down to the nitty-gritty on how I created this look:

1. I painted two coats of SinfulColors Hazard as the base.
2. Using the brush that came with the polish, I painted a thin layer of Ulta Cream on the Crop in an elongated oval in the center.
3. Topped it all off with Essie Matte About You.
4. Using a dotting tool and Essie Licorice, I made the "seeds."
5. With a dotting tool again and Seche Vite top coat, I randomly dotted on top of seeds to make them more shiny.

(To me, fresh cut papaya doesn't look really juicy but the seeds are slick and shiny.)

Red Carpet Worthy

For this manicure, I embellished it a little more by adding subtle glitter to the red.

So here's what I did:
Ciaté Dangerous Affair (solid red) and Enchanted Rose (red glitter)
Sonia Kashuk Smoke and Mirrors (applied with a thin paint brush)
Orly Instant Artist Jet Black

By the time I finished, I thought it looked rather elegant and classic. What do you think?